The Greatest Decency

[Verse 1] Teacher, you wrote of decency, And left the word with me. I read your pages more than once And asked what it could mean. I wasn't searching for an answer Just to say that I had won. Could the same word hold two worlds 30 years apart? [Verse 2] I knew the elders whose word carried All the weight a life had earned. One meal could settle years of anger, One word could make two families listen. No signature beneath the promise, Just a lifetime on the line. I honor what that age discovered: Decency could live inside a name. [Chorus] The greatest decency Doesn't need to speak its name. It lives inside the promise That still holds when faces change. It gives the stranger equal standing, Gives the wounded somewhere to go. The greatest decency is quiet — It keeps its promise when we're gone. [Verse 3] There was dignity in swallowing What no court would ever hear, Broken teeth and sleepless evenings, Pain kept private year by year. Now a claim can reach a hearing; Now a grievance has somewhere to go. And when no familiar face can vouch us, When no friend can make us known, Black ink, contracts, laws and code Give two strangers common ground. [Verse 4] There is wealth that clings to position, To the chair, the room, the name. When the person leaves the table, Tea grows cold and favors change. Then there's wealth that clings to something Built to work when you're not there: A tool, a product, line of code Strangers anywhere can use. What an age decides to honor Teaches children what to choose. [Chorus] The greatest decency Doesn't need to speak its name. It lives inside the promise That still holds when faces change. It gives the stranger equal standing, Gives the wounded somewhere to go. The greatest decency is quiet — It keeps its promise when we're gone. [Bridge] 1960, 1990, 30 years between our lives. 30 years from now, the children May see farther than our eyes. Teacher, you and I share one row — Each a voice, but neither a vote. We can offer them our answers; They decide what still will hold. If they bring us something better, May we both be there to listen. [Final Chorus] The greatest decency Doesn't need to speak its name. Keep the honor of the handshake. Let the rules extend its reach. Give the stranger equal standing. Give the wounded somewhere to go. Let creation outlive position. Leave the future room to grow. If they bring a better answer, Let the better answer come. The greatest decency is quiet — It keeps its promise when we're gone.