Monday, November 3, 2014
"Re-alignment....................................."
As usual, I awoke early this morning, read some Bible, inserted some wisdom into Facebook, and then, while pouring my second cup of coffee, reset all the clocks to find myself right where I was when my feet first hit the floor. Fall Back. While some, in knowing exactly what the term, in this case, refers to, might merely apply it to the extra hour of sleep that comes with it, my own mind ponders it in the sense of “retreat”, losing the battle and seeking some place of safety to think things over before going forward again. In my case, it’s where I live. Not in so far as possessing no hope that eventually victory can be mine; but most certainly in the truth that life is an enigma in which I, myself, am the biggest piece of the puzzle. Charles Schultz, in one of his cartoons, has Lucy going to Charlie Brown in her normal state of self-righteousness, declaring unto him that the whole trouble with him was that he didn’t understand the meaning of life. When he turns it around, however, and asks if SHE knows the meaning of life, his rejoinder is dismissed with “We’re not talking about me; we’re talking about YOU!” That scripture digested earlier was in Malachi, not just the last Book of the Old Testament, but the final prophet before a four hundred year silence between what men had done with the Law and what men were about to do with grace. In the second chapter, God speaks to a people who did not “lay to heart” their relationship with Him. If, in this journey, our next breath is always a step into the future, then what’s behind us is gone, unchangeable every bit as much as resetting our clocks in no way altered the earth’s orbit. The next moment remained the next moment regardless whatever digital placement we reassigned it in our schedule. What matters is what we do with it. Considering it, and all that comes with it, His place in our state of affairs, our place in Him, shouldn’t be an onerous appointment somewhere ahead of us. Today, this hour, the door unto His chamber is always open……
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My first reaction was to think: "Yeah, maybe set it back 20 or so years. No maybe 30. No..could we start again, please." And then that song from Jesus Christ Superstar started to play in my mind.
ReplyDeleteThat Lucy-Charlie Brown combo is classic stuff.
Never saw "Jesus Christ Superstar", Mich. I'm thinking that came out back in the 70s when old time holiness legated against any visits to the movies...period! I never bought into all that, but will admit taking my girls to the drive-in one evening in that era to see a couple of Disney flicks and, during the intermission, previews came across the screen for the one made about Patton. In two minutes my kids heard nothing but some of the filthiest language, bad enough to make a sailor blush. We left and I didn't return to theaters for probably close to twenty years. When VCRs came out, I eased back into it, nowadays recognizing a word or two is just life as it is. Life as it is, though, has surely taken a deeper step into nudity, pornography, and the linguistic gutter, this old man with no wish to join it in the mud puddle.
DeleteI love Peanuts, respect Schultz, and have several of his cartoons scotch-taped in my Bibles. As far going back into the decades left behind me, only in my memories, please. It's easy there to lose all my ignorance along the way, recall the good stuff and laugh at the rest. It remains a journey to me and I'm more drawn to what yet lies before me, believing there is indeed something beyond the grave. Too much for me to conceive; but drawing me in spite of the enigma of it all.
You're right about the date of Superstar; it was sometime in there. I had an older sister who bought the album and we could all sing it from start to finish even before it came to the big screen which coincidentally, we later went to watch at a drive-in. Now it is vintage and the music style dated but still fun to play every so often. You might enjoy some of the amazing singing and dancing as I know you like to sing.
ReplyDeleteScripturally speaking, it seems to have taken some story-telling and poetic licence however the main idea comes through. Jesus turned the world and society in general on its head and people are left wondering even if its subconsciously what it was that had happened those roughly 2000 years ago. The film itself certainly was a reflection of just coming through the rebellious era of the 60's.
I agree about the direction things have taken with film and television. There's some great film-making out there but I think there's far too much of what you describe as far as language and graphic everything, especially in the area of violence. I understand that story-telling is risky but there are images that just should not be out there. The harm they do by infiltrating minds far outweighs their story-telling value. In my opinion, it's irresponsible. Some might say that they have a right to make these scenes but just because you can doesn't mean that you should.
Oh man, there I go hijacking your blog again. :-)
PS. Love Schultz' humour and perspective.
"Hijack" my blog anytime you want. I enjoy the conversation, it, in fact, half the point it's here in the first place and few there be who leave more than a few words in a comment. Not that I mean to sound inappreciative of that. It's just the nature of approaching spiritual discussion. Most avoid it for a number of reasons....
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