Monday, May 30, 2005

Thoughts on this Memorial Day

                                                       

          

In the mid-sixties, the hippie era of peace and love, there were a lot of songs about brotherhood, love, and freedom.  I was young and foolish enough, back then, to believe some of the lyrics:

"I can see a new day, a new day soon to be... when all men are brothers, and the sun shines on a world that's free."  "I can see a new man, a new man standing tall with his head high and his heart proud, and afraid of nothing at all."

                                                      

Or this one:

"We shall overcome, we shall overcome.  We shall overcome some day."  "We'll walk hand-in-hand, We'll walk hand-in-hand..."

                                    

Bob Dylan hit the nail on the head with one song, though:

 How many roads must a man walk down
Before you call him a man?
Yes, and how many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?
Yes, and how many times must the cannon balls fly
Before they're forever banned?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
Yes, and how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, and how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

How many years can a mountain exist
Before it's washed to the sea?
Yes, and how many years can some people exist
Before they're allowed to be free?
Yes, and how many times can a man turn his head,
Pretending he just doesn't see?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.
 

The answer still blows in the wind, elusive as a butterfly.   How can the world live in peace if you can't even have a family reunion without someone saying, "If HE'S coming, I won't be there"?   How can there be peace in the world when tiny church congregations split because of petty differences?   The protest songs these days spew hatred:  "Don't wanna be an American idiot."    I've grown up and matured enough to know that there will never be peace in this world, and obviously, so have the songwriters.  Oh, if I could only believe like I did back in the 1960's, when I sang folk songs with Peter, Paul and Mary, Pete Seeger, and Bob Dylan.  

Ah, but thinking far back to my favorite hymn of childhood, I realize there is a glimmer of hope:

"Oh Jordan's stormy banks I stand, And cast a wishful eye To Canaan's fair and happy land Where my possessions lie.  We will rest in that fair and happy land bye and bye, Just across on the evergreen shore; Sing the song of Moses and the Lamb, bye and bye, And dwell with Jesus evermore."  

And in that refrain, my friends, lies my only hope of ever knowing a world at peace.    

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wonderful entry.  So glad you left us with the thought of hope.

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful tribute for Memorial Day !  Those pictures and songs bring back such good memories of 'Happy Days' for me.  I've been re-membering those that aren't here anymore today and this  tribute touched my heart.  Thank you!
May your life be blessed with happy memories too !  'On Ya'  - ma

Anonymous said...

Amen to that. Praise God that HE has a plan. Until then we will keep learning how to love our neighbor.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful entry Mosie. I still love Peter, Paul and Mary. Whenever they are on public TV, I watch. They can still bring me to tears.  Anne

Anonymous said...

Wouldn't you love to go back to the fifty and sixties for a little while? It would be so nice to be able to go back and know that we need not fear the missiles that Castro had pointed at us.....as we did back then! lol
I too believed all the folk song lyrics of peace, brotherly love, and freedom.....and there have been some improvements in some areas....but you are right, I have grown to believe that we will only find true peace when we are called home to the FATHER.
Carlene

Anonymous said...

JUST LOVE YOUR ENTRY. I WISH I COULD GO BACK TO THE 50'S AND 60'S.....IT WILL NEVER EVER BE LIKE THAT AGAIN.

LOVE BOB DYLAN SONG...."HOW MANY ROADS"

HUGS,
Sharon

Anonymous said...

   SUCH A GREAT SONG; SUCH A GREAT THOUGHT.   One of those that is almost a prayer in itself ... one that makes you wish you were a dog that could express your lament in a soulful howl....

Anonymous said...

Great entry!! You got right to the point. rich