100. Rock Goes The Gospel Jeff Lynne "Mercy Mercy"

For the past decade, not much has been heard musically from ELO mastermind (and solo artist/former Travelling Wilbury) Jeff Lynne. For fans clamouring for some new Lynne recordings, you are about to be treated to a pair of new releases from the bearded, sun-glass-sporting gentleman. October 9th will see the release of both Long Wave and Mr. Blue Sky: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra – the former a covers collection of early radio favourites of Lynne's, and the latter re-recordings of ELO classics. Mercy, Mercy" (sometimes referred to as "Have Mercy") is a rhythm and blues song first recorded by American R&B singer/songwriter Don Covay in 1964. It has been identified as a song that "not only established a new guitar dominated soul sound, but also proved a formative influence on white r&bers Mick Jagger and Peter Wolf". The song-writing is usually credited to Covay and Ron Alonzo Miller, although other co-writers' names have also appeared on various releases.

Have mercy

Have mercy baby
Have mercy
Have mercy on me

Well I went to see a gypsy
And had my fortune read
She said Don, your baby's gonna leave you
Her back is packed up under the bed
And I cry

Have mercy
Have mercy baby
Have mercy
Have mercy on me

I say, if you leave me baby
Girl if you put me down
Well I'm a goin' to the nearest river, child
And jump overboard and drown
Don't leave me

Have mercy
Have mercy baby
Mercy yeah
Have mercy
Have mercy on me

Well hey hey baby, hey hey now
What you tryin' to do, huh?
Hey hey baby, hey hey now
Please don't say we're through

I said if you stay, baby
I tell you what I'm gonna do
I'm gonna work to a job seven days a week
And bring my money home to you

Well I say mercy,
Mercy, mercy, mercy...

Mercy Me by Jeff Lynne is a classic about a lover asking for mercy. Mercy is a virtue that is under stated in today's world. To be merciful is to show compassion and forgiveness. Mercy is a virtue that God himself displays. It is part of God's character to show mercy and give out justice. This really means providing restoration we hear this echoed in the fifth Beatitude. "Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy"

Jesus himself show what God's mercy is like. He is the epitome of the mercy of God and to be the recipient of that mercy is a gift of God, It's what God does. It's his character and virtue. In this beatitude there is an encouragement to merciful as God is merciful, and God's mercy always has reconciliation attached to it. therefore to be merciful is to work for reconciliation in all of our relationships in life, Mercy is not a virtue that we see much of today. Our ears, eyes, and emotions are assaulted on a daily basis by anti mercy thoughts and sentiments. Violence, Stubbornness, Injustice, Bigotry, Scams and Prejudice make headline news. Acts of mercy  are so rare that they take our breath away when we see them. 

In the Old Testament Tabernacle the ark of of the covenant was placed at God's command in the holy of holies. The ark of the covenant, the chest containing the two stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments, was the most sacred object of the tabernacle and later in the temple in Jerusalem, where it was placed in an inner area called the Holy of Holies. Also within the ark were the golden pot of manna, such as was provided by God in the wilderness wanderings (Exodus 16:4) and Aaron’s almond rod (Numbers 17:1-13). On top of the ark was a lid called the mercy seat on which rested the cloud or visible symbol of the divine presence. Here God was supposed to be seated, and from this place He was supposed to dispense mercy to all when the blood of the atonement was sprinkled there.

Therefore God's mercy is higher than judgement and justice. It's not justice that comes first in the heart of God and in the ministry of Jesus but mercy and mercy only. This is what makes God really God. this is the primary virtue that Jesus invites us to manifest in our daily lives. It's not justice but mercy. Not ascribing to people what they deserve but providing people that which they do not deserve. Being merciful is one of the strongest virtues going. It marks out the men from the boys (Sorry ladies, a term of speech) It takes more courage to be merciful that to be just. Justice is making sure that people get what they deserve, but mercy gives what people do not deserve. Mercy is from the family of grace.

To those who heard this statement amidst the other shocking statements of the beatitudes was to hear about a change in direction and a change in heart. This may have been a bridge too far. Justice is what was on the lips of the people. God giving out what people deserve to get. Mercy is in other league entirely.  

Oh that mercy would inform our church life, our politics, our sense of being in this community and world. Mercy is who God is. May we all learn to be courageous in giving mercy. This is  what Jesus is really getting at.

99. Rock Goes The Gospel - Green Day "Holiday"

Green Day's "Holiday" was released as the third single from their seventh studio album American Idiot. It's about the American government and society during the Iraqi War. It begins by commenting on how the thousands of dead Americans and Iraqis are nameless to the average American citizen. The song expresses resentment with the corporate greed and corruption involved in the "rebuilding" effort, and shows how the average protester realizes that the pro-war money involved has more power than they can ever have. It also points out the irony of the Christian right-wing feeling religiously justified in this war: "Can I get another 'Amen'? There's a flag wrapped around the score of men."Say, hey!

Hear the sound of the falling rain
Coming down like an Armageddon flame (Hey!)
The shame
The ones who died without a name

Hear the dogs howling out of key
To a hymn called "Faith and Misery" (Hey!)
And bleed, the company lost the war today

I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies
This is the dawning of the rest of our lives
On holiday

Hear the drum pounding out of time
Another protester has crossed the line (Hey!)
To find, the money's on the other side

Can I get another Amen? (Amen!)
There's a flag wrapped around a score of men (Hey!)
A gag, a plastic bag on a monument

I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies
This is the dawning of the rest of our lives
On holiday

(Hey!)
(Say, hey!)

"The representative from California has the floor"

Zieg Heil to the president Gasman
Bombs away is your punishment
Pulverize the Eiffel towers
Who criticize your government
Bang bang goes the broken glass and
Kill all the fags that don't agree
Trials by fire, setting fire
Is not a way that's meant for me
Just cause (hey, hey, hey), just cause, because we're outlaws yeah!

I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies
This is the dawning of the rest of our lives
I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies
This is the dawning of the rest of our lives

This is our lives on holiday

Green Day "Holiday"  is a protest song against an oppressive system, against a government who cares more for power than for people. A protest song that dares to dream for something different. In that sense "Holiday is also a song of hope and longing "I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies" Dreaming and longing for a better life and future is what I get when I read the fourth beatitude "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied"

This fourth beatitude is all about dreaming for a better day. When we reflect on what Jesus is saying here we realise soon enough that Jesus is not talking here about ordinary hunger or thirst. We come very fast to the conclusion that Jesus is talking about the human need, The human drive, desires, appetites and passions that lie within all of us. An inbuilt longing and desire that is in the human heart for evil or for good. Here in the beatitude Jesus is stressing the desire and longing for righteousness. This is not a desire for religiosity or for a self satisfying religious experience. What Jesus is pointing to here goes much deeper to the quest for a better humanity. The "Righteousness" in this passage can be understood at a "Right Relationship" a "Right Standing" a longing for Doing the "Right" things and it can also be thought of as "Justice" "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for Justice"  "God's Justice" A longing for the time when God himself rights all the wrongs.

Jesus in this fourth beatitude is speaking to those who long for injustice to be a thing of the past. This has much to say to us about the present day injustice of discrimination, racism, sexism, food poverty, war, the arms trade, corrupt governments, crooked politicians and so on, Those that promise much and in the end they deliver very little. This beatitude has people at the centre just like the other beatitudes. Jesus says for those who are longing for justice like a person is hungry for food or thirsty for water then they will be satisfied. There will come a day or a time and season in other words that the hunger and thirst will be a thing of the past. There will come a day when justice will roll like streams. We find Amos the prophet in the Old Testament confessing his hunger and thirst for this season in Amos 5. "But let justice run down like water,And righteousness like a mighty stream." 

This is a beatitude of hope and a flickering torch in the darkness for those who in our day hunger and thirst for righteousness and for those who long for "Justice". For those across the planet who are longing for a better day. For the places today where life does not mean very much. For the endless injustices that we read about or watch in the media, For the corruption in governments and politics, For the least, the last and the lost there is an uprising in the heart that longs and dreams like the lyric in Green Day's "Holiday" "I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies, This is the dawning of the rest of our lives".  Jesus, May your justice come swiftly today for many. Amen

98. Rock Goes The Gospel - Rush 2112 "The Temples of Syrinx"

“2112,” the 20-minute, side-long, 7-suite piece, follows an anonymous member of Megadon, who awakens to what’s missing in his world after discovering a guitar and teaching himself to make music. In his world, autonomous people whose creativity propel a society forward have been gone for a generation, replaced by a cadre of priests who maintain order and stability with the help of computers. The protagonist feels hopeless after he’s rebuffed in his effort to get the priests’ approval to make music a part of their world. He falls into a trance like sleep, dreams of the society that used to be, only to awaken to stark hopelessness. He’s not the one to lead a revolution, and indeed he commits suicide. But the dream of restoring the world to one in which people thrive and grow isn't extinguished.

We've taken care of everything
The words you read, the songs you sing
The pictures that give pleasure to your eyes
It's one for all and all for one
We work together, common sons
Never need to wonder how or why

We are the Priests of the Temples of Syrinx
Our great computers fill the hallowed halls
We are the Priests, of the Temples of Syrinx
All the gifts of life are held within our walls

Look around at this world we've made
Equality our stock in trade
Come and join the Brotherhood of Man
Oh, what a nice, contented world
Let the banners be unfurled
Hold the Red Star proudly high in hand

We are the Priests of the Temples of Syrinx
Our great computers fill the hallowed halls
We are the Priests, of the Temples of Syrinx
All the gifts of life are held within our walls

The story has the character of a parable and in the parable one person stands up for what is right and just in the hope of transformation. The parable of  2112 and [II. Temples of Syrinx] lyrics define what is "Meek". The definition of meekness is asserting yourself on behalf of others which is what is happening in the parable of Rush concept album "2112" which tells the story of one man who stands up to the system. Neil Peart suggests that Rush's 2112 album was a rage against the power hungry record industry and one attempt to bring some sanity to it while at the same time rebelling against it's restrictions.

In this mornings devotion we look at the third of the Beatitudes. In this Beatitude Jesus is speaking about true meekness. In the days of Jesus the common people of Judaism are oppressed on two fronts. They are oppressed by the military might that is Rome and they are oppressed by legalism that is the religious institution. Into these dual oppressions Jesus speaks about meekness.

What does it mean to be meek? Not to be confused with weakness true meekness is anything but weak.  The nearest definition of "Meekness" is "Power under God's Control".  Life and Actions under new management if you like. Not asserting yourself for your own needs but asserting yourself for the needs and benefit of others. This is where the definition fits the 2112 song "Temples of Syrinx"

"Meek" people see themselves as the servants of God. Not with a false humility but with all their inner emotions under God's control.

Another way of looking at this is "Meekness" is curbing that inner revenge, That inner compulsion to seek and avenge a "wrong" done to us, "Meekness" says no to that inner revenge. Meekness is the opposite to violence. In it's place meek people have the heart to serve others even those who have wronged us. Jesus says the "The Meek shall inherit the earth" -What does he mean by that statement. Well, putting it simply - The earth is not to become for us a stage for grasping our own desire but an inheritance which we have received from God in which the service of God on behalf of others is paramount.

Being "Meek" is not being weak. Being "Meek" in my own oppinon is an inner characteristic of those who have surrendered their lives to Jesus and who are working for the kingdom of God in all places and in all things. "Meekness" is  Justice and Righteous personified as we see this characteristic massively in the life of Jesus. Jesus is the supreme model of "Meekness" He was meek in the temple when he over turned the money changers tables because he was standing up for the rights of those who had no voice. He was meek when he wrote in the ground when the woman who had been caught in adultery was brought to him by the religious leaders. There are 1001 faces of meekness that we could go to in the gospels that display the meekness of Jesus. His meekness stands as a model to us all.

Rush, and Neil Peart get this right, they effectively portray what it is like to stand up to the system of Megadon. (Or to rebel against the legalism of the music industry) Unfortunately the protagonist in the 2112 parable takes his own life before the revolution comes. Another has his life taken from him on a hill called Calvery by Roman and Jewish oppressive institutions but his meekness is accurately displayed in the gospels and today he calls for "Meekness" to be displayed in our lives too. Bring it on!

97. Rock Goes The Gospel - Mike and The Mechanics "Living Years"

"The Living Years" is a ballad written by Mike Rutherford and B. A. Robertson, and recorded by Rutherford's band Mike + The Mechanics. It was released in December 1988 in the UK as the second single from their album, Living Years. The song was a chart hit around the world, No.2 in the UK. The song addresses a son's regret over unresolved conflict with his now-deceased father. It won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically & Lyrically in 1989, and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1990. In 1996, famed composer Burt Bacharach opined: "'The Living Years' is one of the finest lyrics of the last 10 years."

Every generation
Blames the one before
And all of their frustrations
Come beating on your door

I know that I'm a prisoner
To all my Father held so dear
I know that I'm a hostage
To all his hopes and fears
I just wish I could have told him in the living years

Crumpled bits of paper
Filled with imperfect thought
Stilted conversations
I'm afraid that's all we've got

You say you just don't see it
He says it's perfect sense
You just can't get agreement
In this present tense
We all talk a different language
Talking in defense

Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It's too late when we die
To admit we don't see eye to eye

So we open up a quarrel
Between the present and the past
We only sacrifice the future
It's the bitterness that lasts

So don't yield to the fortunes
You sometimes see as fate
It may have a new perspective
On a different date
And if you don't give up, and don't give in
You may just be O.K.

Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It's too late when we die
To admit we don't see eye to eye

I wasn't there that morning
When my Father passed away
I didn't get to tell him
All the things I had to say

I think I caught his spirit
Later that same year
I'm sure I heard his echo
In my baby's new born tears
I just wish I could have told him in the living years

Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It's too late when we die
To admit we don't see eye to eye

This song "Living Years" is about mourning the death of a loved one and being comforted in the midst of that grief and sadness. It's a song of regret and at the same time a song of deep discovery. "Living Years" is also a story of listening and appreciating what is right there in front of you before it is too late. When we are young we are protected from mourning. I know I was when I was young. It was not until later years that I began to experience mourning in a real way. Mourning is a part of life and one of the reasons that we are sometimes protected from mourning is that it is often associated with death. Death is still one of those subjects that is fairly taboo in our society. Jesus offers these words of help to us this morning.

There are two avenues of mourning that I would like to highlight this morning in this second of the beatitudes devotional from Matthew 5. One avenue is about a natural morning that occurs when we face the loss of a loved one the second is a spiritual mourning when we face our loss of God and of his image in our lives. There are other avenues of mourning than these two that could be highlighted but using them would be an essay or an article and not a devotion. I am at least aware of other thoughts that I could have included.

The first avenue of mourning is that death in our lives can bring us onto a place of real loss and sadness. The death of a loved one, a close friend, a brother or sister, a mother or indeed as in the song a father. We are faced with a life without them and that produces sadness and mourning. That sadness may be tinged with regrets and plans that have and never will be realised. We may wonder if we ever will get over a loss like we are facing. The truth is that we probably never will. We build our lives around and adjust our lives, the pain of parting may never leave us, we just find ways of coping.

The second avenue of mourning is when we realise the poverty of the human spirit (Our own heart) can bring us into mourning. This can happen when we realise that before God we have nothing and in that realisation we discover that there is no-way to reverse the condition of our hearts or the destiny to which we are heading. This can bring mourning to our lives because we are telling ourselves that there is no way out. This is a mourning of our spiritual condition. We may feel trapped in this place with no way out because we are confronted with the knowledge that we are made in the image of God, in the likeness of God  and we were designed to live with God but we have ended up so far from God, like the prodigal son we mourn the distance from where we are to where we could be, and at the same time we mourn our state and condition.

It is into these areas that Jesus says "Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted" It's into these places that Jesus offers all who mourn a way of dealing with  the loss of loved ones and distance from God. Jesus is offering comfort from God and from a relationship with him. This is plain and simple this is the God of all comfort offering us through Jesus a peace and comfort that is from him.  We see that comfort personified in the life of Jesus in the gospels, It's there before us - Jesus says "They will be comforted"  it's a promise that comes to us through him the Alpha and Omega of peace and comfort. May you today know comfort as you mourn. Our mourning may never leave us but may we all know the comfort that Jesus offers. Amen.

96. Rock Goes The Gospel - Phil Collins "Another Day In Paradise"

This addresses the problem of ignoring the needy and homeless. It's a rare Phil Collins hit with a socially conscious message. Collins told The Mail on Sunday: "I wrote this after being in Washington DC where I was amazed by how many people I saw living in boxes." Another Day in Paradise" is a song performed by ex Genesis drummer and front man recording artist Phil Collins. Produced by Collins along with Hugh Padgham, it was released as the first single from his number-one album ...But Seriously(1989). Collins sings the song from a third-person perspective, observing as a man crosses the street to ignore a homeless woman, and he implores listeners not to turn a blind eye to homelessness because, by drawing a religious allusion, "it's just another day for you and me in paradise". Collins also appeals directly to God by singing: "Oh lord, is there nothing more anybody can do? Oh lord, there must be something you can say?" Homelessness and poverty is an issue in many urban settings, but this kind of destitution runs deeper still it is a reflection to the depths of the human condition as you can hear in the lyrics of the song.

She calls out to the man on the street
"Sir, can you help me?
It's cold and I've nowhere to sleep,
Is there somewhere you can tell me?"

He walks on, doesn't look back
He pretends he can't hear her
Starts to whistle as he crosses the street
Seems embarrassed to be there

Oh think twice, it's another day for
You and me in paradise
Oh think twice, it's just another day for you,
You and me in paradise

She calls out to the man on the street
He can see she's been crying
She's got blisters on the soles of her feet
Can't walk but she's trying

Oh think twice...

Oh lord, is there nothing more anybody can do
Oh lord, there must be something you can say

You can tell from the lines on her face
You can see that she's been there
Probably been moved on from every place
'Cos she didn't fit in there

Oh think twice...

"Blessed are the "Poor in Spirit" for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." What and who was Jesus talking about? For some Bible commentators Jesus is talking about those who are morally destitute, and not the homeless. In some sense they are right. But destitution is destitution. The poor in spirit are the poor in spirit. People may well be poor in spirit because life has robbed them of everything. Jesus in the beatitudes gives the poor in spirit an eternal abiding place. In a world where the poor in spirit have been displaced Jesus gives them place. 

I'm reminded of an occasion a few years ago in Glasgow when I was attending a conference and I had decided on a free afternoon to wander the streets a bit and do some reflecting and some creative writing. The afternoon was taken up with visiting coffee shops, tattoo parlours, city centre pubs and was filled with people gazing. Towards the end of the day I stumbled on a scene in a local supermarket and this is what I wrote about what I saw.

The Guitar Man of Sauchiehall Street.
Part One of  "Tales of the City"

“A bottle of Jack Daniels...sh, please..sh..son” he said, as he swayed there at the front of the queue. He reached into his torn pockets for the exact money that he had busked for that day, and had counted before coming into the shop. 

The Guitar man.......

It was strapped to his back, an old Gibson, well battered and abused over the years, stained and chipped on the corners...but still it was a quality guitar. He had a twinkle in his eye as he waited for the bottle of Jack to be placed in bag for him.  He seemed oblivious to all that surrounded him. 

The Guitar man... ...

He had the excitement in his body language of a little boy waiting for the counter assistant to bag up a quarter of BON, BON's. He was waiting for the comfort of having the bottle in his arms. No doubt this was a repeat of what he had done in the past... he had been here many times before.

The Guitar man.. ...

He had long greasy hair, he was wearing dirty cheap trainers that had seen better days, a pair of burgundy red jogging pants with stains, held up by a length of white electric cable with the coloured and copper ends fraying out, for his top half he had a long army type trench coat, with a dirty jumper underneath.

The Guitar man..

As he received his purchase he smiled and staggered away, oblivious to the taunts and whispers of the people in the queue around me. I felt ashamed, and guilty. Ashamed, that somehow just by standing in this queue, I was implicated in declaring what was expectable and what was not. Guilty, because my own judgement was clouded by their taunts and whispers.

The Guitar man..

I watched the “Guitar man” adjust himself at the doorway and stagger off down the street into the night. Perhaps to spend another night among many, inhabiting a shop doorway, drowning his sorrows, reflecting on his losses and dreaming of what used to be.

The Guitar man..

There was no doubt to me that this man was poor in spirit. Although Jack Daniels is not the obvious choice for a street dweller or rough sleeper to select. (If  he was one that is, as I don't want to make an assumption) Perhaps this was his tipple that took him back to more prosperous times. Before his life was crushed and he was made destitute. For that is what he was - destitute of help, and compassion.  I wonder if  I had asked him about faith what he might have said. He may well have said "Why would God be interested in me" or "God is punishing me" or "When I was young I attended Sunday School" or a number of other statements. 

This man like many people in life who have a poverty of spirit need to be welcomed, cared for, need to be fed, given place at the table. For those who are destitute mentally, spiritually, physically and emotionally are, the "poor in spirit" that Jesus is talking about. It's these ones that Jesus says will be given a place to dwell, a place to be. "The Kingdom of Heaven" a place with the values of heaven. This is where the beatitudes are prophetic and point to the future, this is where they give hope. This is where we need to take the words of Jesus seriously.

This happened in 2009 and I for one will never forget my experience of this man and those who mocked him. I came back to Leeds feeling that I should have done something as I stood in the queue. Since then I do not give up an opportunity so lightly and often spend time speaking and sitting with those who are poor in heart, mind, body and soul. My own vocation takes me to places that I feel Jesus would have felt at home in, and to people he would have had time for. Every time I read what I wrote in my journal about this man I get chills that run up my spine. I think this is what Jesus was alluding to when he said "POOR IN SPIRIT"

95. Rock Goes The Gospel - Oasis "Little By Little"

"Little by Little" was first released as the sixth track on Oasis' fifth studio album Heathen Chemistry. In September 2002, it was released with "She Is Love" as the first (and only) double A-side single by the band, peaking at No2 in the UK Singles Chart. Little by Little was written by Noel Gallagher, and it is said that this is most likely a dig on his ex-wife Meg Mathews, who he married in 1997 and divorced in 2001. Their break-up was rather acrimonious, as Mathews accused Gallagher of infidelity and Noel claimed she was so annoying that he told her he was cheating just to speed up the divorce. Most critics found the sentiment more cloying than musing, but the song was still a UK hit when it was released as the third single from the album.

Robert Carlyle appears as a guest in the promo video, which is shot on location in "Heathen Street" and seems to portray the life of a little person who is on the street, whom people ignore and have no time for but in the film promo video we see the generosity of little people. Watch for the 50p piece.

"We the people fight for our existence
We don't claim to be perfect but we're free
We dream our dreams alone with no resistance
Fading like the stars we wish to be

You know I didn't mean what I just said
But my God woke up on the wrong side of His bed
And it just don't matter now

'Cause little by little we gave you everything you ever dreamed of
Little by little the wheels of your life have slowly fallen off
Little by little you have to give it all in all your life
And all the time I just ask myself why you're really here

True perfection has to be imperfect
I know that that sounds foolish but it's true
The day has come and now you'll have to accept
The life inside your head we give to you

You know I didn't mean what I just said
But my God woke up on the wrong side of His bed
And it just don't matter now

'Cause little by little we gave you everything you ever dreamed of
Little by little the wheels of your life have slowly fallen off
Little by little you have to give it all in all your life
And all the time I just ask myself why you're really here

Little by little we gave you everything you ever dreamed of
Little by little the wheels of your life have slowly fallen off
Little by little you have to give it all in all your life
And all the time I just ask myself why you're really here

Why am I really here?
Why am I really here?

This contribution that I write is more of a lament than a provision of solutions. More of a "Rant" or "Rage against the Machine" As i have let the song distil in me i have come to the relisation (Wrong or right) that the lyrics of this song are about the challenges and pit falls of being a person for whom the wheels have fallen off. The promo video pushes us to this ethos as well and helps us get the point. "Heathen Street" is such a telling motif.

The lyrics and the promo video speak of existence and the meaning of life in a world of indifference and power. This is never more poignant for those who are the ones that are hidden and who have no voice (The little people) The last, the least and the lost. The people who have no power and for whom society has no place. The people that even religion has forgotten at times. Don't get me wrong there are many things that the church does and does well. But I cannot help feeling that that our best efforts are not enough. They may well be first aid for the broken. I'm more keen to see lasting solutions. The song "Little By Little" highlights for us the general over consuming attitude of the poverty of "Being Generous"

I was dismayed like so many others by some recent articles on ‘defensive architecture’ but heartened by other responses to the plight of homelessness in the urban settings of our cities. In "The Guardian" newspaper yesterday (Wednesday 18th February)  There is an interesting report written by Alex Andreou of which this statement is part of it.

"From ubiquitous protrusions on window ledges to bus-shelter seats that pivot forward, from water sprinklers and loud muzak to hard tubular rests, from metal park benches with solid dividers to forests of pointed cement bollards under bridges, urban spaces are aggressively rejecting soft, human bodies."

There are some rays of hope though as part of Alex Andreou's report highlights a solution from Vancouver in Canada that sites a report in the "Independent" on Thursday 26th June 2014. Andreou's article finishes with a challenge on to collective social feeling of society in general towards poverty and homelessness.

"Defensive architecture acts as the airplane curtain that separates economy from business and business from first class, protecting those further forward from the envious eyes of those behind. It keeps poverty unseen and sanitises our shopping centres, concealing any guilt for over-consuming. It speaks volumes about our collective attitude to poverty in general and homelessness in particular. It is the aggregated, concrete, spiked expression of a lack of generosity of spirit."

As I write this I am all to aware of the homelessness that exists around the area where I live and work. I am also keenly aware of what Jesus alludes to, in more ways than one, in the gospels. Jesus does not point to homelessness in particular or singles out poverty in general. Jesus is not like a politician looking for a way to increase votes, but in my own view he does have something to contribute to the discussion as he displays to the world what generosity of spirit looks like. There are many good examples from the gospels - The stories of widows, children, prostitutes, those with no home, those with disabilities, those who have been rejected, the old and infirm, children, those in search of love and acceptance. He even met the rich, the powerful, the proud, the law makers as well as law breakers. One prime example of the people who Jesus met that would fit with the song "Little by Little" and with the Article by Alex Andreou would be the man called legion. 

The story of Legion is story of the compassion of Jesus towards a man who had been rejected and ejected by the force of society and common feeling. The story ends with the man in his right mind being restored to his own people and community. I cannot help but think and dream of how this happens in reality in our own towns and cities. There is a challenge here, with no easy answers but never the less a challenge that cannot be easily ignored and a challenge that will only be compounded by big business and the consumerism that we all are part of. For many the cry of hearts is before us "Why Am I really here" but along with that cry my own heart asks me "Who's really listening?" 

Rock Goes the Gospel - The Beatitudes

"Rock Goes The Gospel" devotions from the 23rd February till the 4th March will focus on chapter five of Matthew's gospel. The Eight Beatitudes. The Beatitudes are an invitation to a way of living that brings true happiness and both inward and outward peace. The Beatitudes call us to a radically new way of being when we focus our lives on God, and we become transformed. The beatitudes call us to true happiness and the deepest of joy as we find our true identity in our relationship with God and true peace both inwardly and outwardly.

Each Beatitude begins with the word “blessed.” The Greek word translated as “blessed” means “extremely fortunate, well off, and truly happy” because one is favoured by God. To live the Beatitudes is to be focused on God and God’s desires for our life. They invite us to live in a true inward peace that leads to a desire to be outward peacemakers, to bring reconciliation, to seek out opportunities for mercy and compassion, to pursue justice and righteousness as a hunger and thirst. We live the Beatitudes where we are right now, one day at a time, one leading at a time, and one action at a time. We live them realising that we are imperfect, that we make mistakes, and need forgiveness. We live them with confidence in Jesus’ promise of a joy and peace that only God can give.

The eight Beatitudes in Matthew can be arranged into two categories. The first reflect a longing for a deeper relationship with God (blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who mourn). The second group reveal the transformation of our lives as fruits of that relationship (blessed are the pure of heart, the meek, the merciful, the peacemakers, the persecuted). The first group brings us into closer relationship with God which results in the transformation of our lives described in the second group.

When Love Speaks Everything Changes

So often we don't here the good news stories. We have often heard the comments "Only bad news sells news"  well sometimes you've got to just here some good news for a change. Again I was surfing the net in my normal way, looking at the headlines, national and local. Looking at the politics pages on-line and then looking at social interest articles when I came across this heart-warming piece of news from the US and wanted it to be on my blog-site.  

After being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour last year one husband immediately arranged a plan for his wife to always remember him on Valentine’s Day. It’s not uncommon for a husband to send his wife flowers on Valentine’s Day. But for Shelly Golay, this gesture means more than just flowers. “Until the day I die I’ll get Valentine’s flowers on Valentine’s Day and that’s just a testament of his love all over again,” Golay said. Last February, Shelly’s husband Jim was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour. “My husband was dealing with brain cancer,” Golay said. “He had a Glioblastoma and it was an uphill climb. The diagnosis wasn't good.” Jim wanted to make Valentine’s Day special for his wife, but he knew his days were limited. So, he came to this flower shop to set-up a plan so that Shelly would always remember how much Jim loved her on Valentine’s Day.” “Basically he had called and set it up before he passed and what it’s going to be is just, every Valentine’s Day just some of her favourite flowers the assorted roses,” Florist Jessie Row said. “ Mixed colours things like that, every day until she dies.” The flowers were delivered two days before Valentine’s Day. And when Shelly first saw the flowers were from Jim, she was speechless. So she contacted the flower shop about it, only to find out Jim’s everlasting Valentine’s Day plan. This is one Valentine’s Day that Shelly says she will always remember. “It was true love and you just don’t find that very often,” Golay said. “You know, the fairy tale romance, the knight in shining armour, you just don’t find that. And even though we didn't get the fairy tale ending, it was amazing.”

Here is a sign of true love. His love was speaking to his wife beyond the grave so to speak.  Paul the Spostle reminds of this kind of love in 1 Corinthians 13.

94. Rock Goes The Gospel - Oasis "Go Let It Out"

"Go Let It Out" is a song written by Oasis's lead guitarist, and chief songwriter, Noel Gallagher. It was released in 2000 as the first single from their fourth studio album Standing on the Shoulder of Giants. The song peaked at #1 in the UK Charts and was later certified Silver. The song was the 36th best selling single of 2000 in the UK.  The Blues song "I Walk On Gilded Splinters" by Johnny Jenkins was a big influence on this. Jenkins was a renowned left-handed Blues guitarist, who helped launch the career of Otis Redding. His flamboyant technique preceded Jimi Hendrix, who used some of Jenkins' tricks in his stage show.  This was the first Oasis product to be released via their own Big Brother record label.

Paint no illusion, try to click with whatcha got
Taste every potion cos if yer like yerself a lot
Go let it out, go let it in, go let it out

Life is precocious in a most perculiar way
Sister psychosis don't got a lot to say
She go let it out, she go let it in, she go let it out
She go let it out, she go let it in, she go let it out

Is it any wonder why Princes & Kings
Are clowns that caper in their sawdust rings
And ordinary people that are like you and me
We're the keepers of their destiny

I'm goin' leaving this city, I'm goin' drivin' outta town
Your comin' with me the right time is always now
To go let it out, go let it in, go let it out
To go let it out, go let it in, go let it out

Is it any wonder why Princes and Kings
Are clowns that caper in their sawdust rings
Cos ordinary people that are like you and me
We're the builders of their destiny
We're the builders of their destiny
We're the builders of their destiny
We're the builders of their destiny

So go let it out - go let it in
Go let it out - don't let it in
Go let it out - go let it in
Go let it out - don't let it - don't let it in

It's a song that appeals again to the working classes. this is what Oasis are good at echoing and articulating what people on the ground feel about life. There is a struggle in the lyrics about ordinary people keeping in power those who have the power. And ordinary people that are like you and me We're the keepers of their destiny. This was written for there 2000 album standing on the Shoulders of Giants but in the run up to the elections in 2015 I've heard the same things said of the politics of our own time. That it off the backs of ordinary people that politicians are crafting their game. We become complicit in their power and influence because by default "we voted them in". Now this is not a political rant form me. But you can see the link. These politicians come along with their manifestos that represent their party and what they would do if they got in power. (It's right to ask the questions - http://www.leedsforchange.org.uk/pick-your-top-ten-questions/)

Now Jesus was not a politician but his own politics were on display for all to see. He chose to speak of his manifesto on a hillside and not in the place of power and among the people of power. He made his manifesto known among the people who had no power. This manifesto has been called the Beatitudes (Matthew 5) and the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) For the hearers of Jesus the manifesto was tantamount to nailing his colours to the mast.

The Beatitudes are the eight declarations of blessedness spoken by Jesus at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3-12), each beginning with "Blessed are..." It is debated as to exactly how many beatitudes there are. Some speak of seven, nine, or ten beatitudes, but the number appears to be eight (verses 10-12 of Matthew 5 being one beatitude).

The Greek word translated “blessed” means "spiritual well-being and prosperity." This refers to the deep joy of the soul. Those who experience the first aspect of a beatitude (poor, mourn, meek, hungry for righteousness, merciful, pure, peacemakers, and persecuted) will also experience the second aspect of the beatitude (kingdom of Heaven, comfort, inherit the earth, filled, mercy, see God, called sons of God, inherit the kingdom of Heaven). The blessed have a share in salvation and have entered the kingdom of God, experiencing a foretaste of heaven. Another possible rendering of each beatitude is an exclamation of: "O the bliss [or blessedness] of..."

The Beatitudes describe the ideal disciple and the true citizen of the kingdom of God. We also find a description of rewards, both present and future. The person whom Jesus describes in this passage has a different quality of character and lifestyle than those still "outside the kingdom." As a literary form, the beatitude is also found often in the Old Testament, especially in the Psalms (1:1; 34:8; 65:4; 128:1) and in the New Testament as well (John 20:29;14:22;James 1:12; Revelation 14:13).

The Beatitudes are the politics of the margins, they highlight the need to see, listen and create a society where the last, least, and the lost are at the table as equals and those who have been on the receiving end of mercy and justice. Re think your response, to those in power and those who are powerless.

Pope Preaches a sermon on "Embracing the Outcasts"

Reading the internet is one of my own pastimes. This is not the territory of a lazy man with too much time on his hands but an attempt to connect with culture and social interests on a local and worldwide scale. I read online newspapers and online news sites, scanning for information and articles of interest that speak of the margins in our world. It's just one of my things. I read blogs on culture and social anthropology. I'm interested in debates and politics and how they might inform my own Jesus politics. 

In my normal run of the mill daily surfing i have come across a number of news sites that have picked up on the following story and I felt that I needed to make a few brief comments as well as bring the thing to appear on my own blog.  So here goes...........

In line with his pastoral commitment to the poor, Pope Francis on Sunday urged 20 new cardinals to turn their attention to the "marginalised" people of society.

Pope Francis was speaking to the new cardinals during the celebration of Mass on Sunday to wrap up the consistory that created the 20 new cardinals on February 14 - part of the Church's current non stop, pope led efforts to reform the Roman Curia.

"We will not find the Lord unless we truly accept the marginalised!" the Pope told the cardinals celebrating the Holy Mass with him. 

In his homily, Pope Francis stated that true service is when Christians are not afraid to reach out to those that are considered untouchable including those who are living with disease or in extreme poverty. He told the cardinals in an impassioned speech that the true path of the Church is not to "condemn anyone for eternity, but on the contrary to leave her four walls behind and to go out in search of those who are distant, those on the 'outskirts' of life."

Pope Francis used the example of Jesus Christ's healing of a leper in the Gospel of Mark to illustrate his point. Although lepers were ostracised in Jesus's time, He reached out to the man because of a sense of compassion and He identified with the man's shame and suffering, instead of turning his eye away from the lepers.

Similarly, Pope Francis stated that it is important for all church leaders and all Christians to embrace the outcasts of society. People must not turn society into a "a closed caste with nothing authentically ecclesial," he said.

"Total openness to serving others is our hallmark, it alone is our title of honour...Truly the Gospel of the marginalised is where our credibility is found and revealed!" the Pope said.

Pope Francis is certainly turning on the pressure of reform. For many the Pope is a Jesus centric Pope and welcome in the church of today as his presence calls to light all the hidden actions and responses of the church. 

In a world where the poorer are getting poorer and the rich are obscenely rich Francis points to the saviour of the church as a prime example of what it means to reach out with compassion and not count the cost.

I only hope that the cardinals were listening. Time will tell. Well it's back to more of the surfing and extracting information from the trillions of articles that are on the net. Happy Hunting for me... you never know what I'll be writing about next.

93. Rock Goes the Gospel - Oasis "Let There Be Love"

"Let there be love! is a song in which Liam and Noel do the lead vocals together. It's the third Oasis song to feature Liam and Noel on lead vocals, the first being the B-side "Acquiesce", and the second being "Put Yer Money Where Yer Mouth Is". The song begins with the piano and has a hint of John Lennon's "Imagine" in it. This is one of the best songs in my own opinion that Oasis has written. It was released on 28 November 2005 as the third single from the album in the UK. It reached number two in the UK charts, capping a very successful year for the band. Many critics cited this song as proof that Oasis had returned to the form seen in the mid-90s. 

Who kicked a hole in the sky so the heavens would cry over me?
Who stole the soul from the sun in a world come undone at the seams?
Let there be love - Let there be love
I hope the weather is calm as you sail up your heavenly stream
Suspended clear in the sky are the words that we sing in our dreams
Let there be love - Let there be love - Let there be love - Let there be love

Come on baby blue
Shake up your tired eyes
The world is waiting for you
May all your dreaming fill the empty sky

But if it makes you happy
Keep on clapping
Just remember I'll be by your side
And if you don't let go, it's gonna pass you by

So what is this song really about then? I guess like many Oasis songs there are mixed meanings. For me it's love in a loveless world. The clue for this is in the second line of the song Who stole the soul from the sun in a world come undone at the seams? This song is about the longing for a better world. A world in which there is real love, respect, hope and a future. You only have to turn on the TV or read a newspaper to find out how these lyrics are a commentary on the real world in which we live in today. We come face to face with  the inhumanity that is written in the burns poem Man was made to mourn:

Many and sharp the num'rous ills
Inwoven with our frame!
More pointed still we make ourselves
Regret, remorse, and shame!
And man, whose heav'n-erected face
The smiles of love adorn, –
Man's inhumanity to man
Makes countless thousands mourn!

For Oasis the answer is a clear one and worth singing about. "Let there be love"  There will be many who do not see this as being the way ahead in a world where revenge is sweet and love is denigrated to what amounts to lust in the final analysis. There are still some of us who are holding out for a better world and for a world made better by love. Love is the most powerful of emotions. Love drives people to do things that they can't do without love. It is hard to explain why, but it keeps people together. People will say hatred or jealousy is the strongest. However what did you start with before-hand, hatred or jealousy. True love is worth holding out for. Love is when you will do anything for those who you love. You would even sacrifice yourself. The love of Menelaus of Sparta towards Helen of Troy launched a thousand ships and brought about the Trojan War. Love was what the ministry of Jesus was all about when he said "love your neighbour as yourself." Without love, humans wouldn't show up to live their lives on a daily basis. Without love and compassion, humanity would have died out thousands of years ago in perpetual states of war.

John, more than any other New Testament writer, waxes eloquent on love from diverse perspectives. He explains that godly love cannot originate with us; it comes only from God: "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation [atonement] for our sins" 

John shows that God's love is directly tied to the gift of the Holy Spirit: "If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit" (verses 12, 13). John makes the inseparable connection between the ability to love others and the presence of the Holy Spirit.

John also exposes the facade of those who profess their love for God while hating their own brethren: "If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also" (John:4:20, 21). John says we show that we love God by loving our brethren.

For John "Let there be love" is a commandment and will of Jesus that takes us into the heart and mystery of God. We also know that when we are love and find security in that love that we become better people. This world would be a better and brighter place if only it's inhabitants would learn to love one another.

"Let there be love" is an anthem and a contemporary commentary of the state of the world we live in. by highlighting the absence of something we have aour attention drawn to why we need it. May you all know Love, not just for a day, but eternally.

Week Four - Courageous "Courage to Submit to God's Control" Daniel 2:31-49