It's not often that a song is written about a road in Scotland but this one is. The "long and winding road" of the song was claimed to have been inspired by the B842, a thirty-one mile (50 km) winding road in Scotland, running along the east coast of Kintyre into Campbeltown, and part of the eighty-two mile (133 km) drive from Lochgilphead.
McCartney originally wrote the song at his farm in Scotland in 1968, and was inspired by the growing tension among the Beatles. McCartney said later "It's rather a sad song. I like writing sad songs, it's a good bag to get into because you can actually acknowledge some deeper feelings of your own and put them in it. It's a good vehicle, it saves having to go to a psychiatrist.""I just sat down at my piano in Scotland, started playing and came up with that song, imagining it was going to be done by someone like Ray Charles. I have always found inspiration in the calm beauty of Scotland and again it proved the place where I found inspiration."
The long and winding road
That leads to your door
Will never disappear
I've seen that road before
It always leads me here
Lead me to you door
The wild and windy night
That the rain washed away
Has left a pool of tears
Crying for the day
Why leave me standing here
Let me know the way
Many times I've been alone
And many times I've cried
Any way you'll never know
The many ways I've tried
But still they lead me back
To the long winding road
You left me standing here
A long long time ago
Don't leave me waiting here
Lead me to your door
But still they lead me back
To the long winding road
You left me standing here
A long long time ago
Don't keep me waiting here
Lead me to your door
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Lyrically, it is a sad and melancholic love song, McCartney is reported as saying"It's rather a sad song. I like writing sad songs, it's a good bag to get into because you can actually acknowledge some deeper feelings of your own and put them in it. It's a good vehicle, it saves having to go to a psychiatrist." The theme of the song is about journey and the road that leads to a person's door. Despite being a melancholic song it does have elements of hope within it.
In Luke 24 we have two of the disciples of Jesus making a journey home to Emmaus. this journey comes after the events in Jerusalem surrounding the trail and death of Jesus. It's a resurrection day journey but in the reading the travellers are full of sadness and are also melancholic.
Luke 24: 13- 32 "13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophetmighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened.22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. 28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”
These two travellers were faced with their hopes having been dashed. the promises that they had heard Jesus make were now in the balance. They were "downcast" and were returning home in grief and bereavement. In effect they were returning from a funeral. they has seen the trial of Jesus and the crucifixion and were now bewildered. These two disciples were facing what millions of people face in our world on a daily basis. They were living with the absence of God that is to say they were convinced that God was absent now from their lives. Many today live their lives as is God was not present but absent from the world, absent from situations of great uncertainty, absent from the pain of ordinary individuals. Sometimes it's as if God was dead to many people. This passage helps us with these issues/ As they (The disciples) were walking this "Long and winding Road" we know from the story) that a stranger came and walked with them. the scripture says "Their eyes were kept from recognising him" Then a conversation was had as they walked, questions were asked and frustrations were vented. the walked was a dusty one and when they reached home (Emmaus) the day was almost done. The stranger joined them for food and it was in the taking of bread that they recognised.
What a task that is open to the church of Jesus Christ to say that God is not absent but at times is simply just hidden. Not absent and somewhere else but here always, it's just that our eyes are kept from seeing Jesus. what a simple truth that has the potential to revolutionise our pastoral care for those who are around us. Jesus is never absent as it's his world we are living in, he is present all the time. But sometimes he is hidden. May you know the presence of Christ today. If there is a long and winding road moment may you know the comfort of a present Jesus in your lives on a daily basis and when you cannot see him, don't for one minute imagine that he has gone away, just tell your self he is still here but for know he is just hidden.
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