First a disclaimer.
I believe a spiritual life is valid. It should be required by law [joke] and I think is almost unavoidable. Religions, on the other hand, seem to have failed us and should probably be outlawed, or perhaps as my 87 year old poppa said to me this morning during our weekly phone conversation, ..." if Corporations want the same status as a Real Person, they should be subject to the same limitations. After 70 to 100 years, they should die."
Or something like that. I paraphrased.
Don't take me wrong, please. I love gospel music, and lots of other music. I think Music is the Universal language that can cross the borders between you and I.
Sometimes the tune hooks my ear first. Sometimes the lyrics speak to my mortal soul and my ears can overcome the shortcomings in the recording.
http://www.youtube.com/...
Let's Fold. @ Home
http://www.youtube.com/...
I hope my cut/paste works on the above U2b. If not, someone please help me do it better.
Now, let us dissect my feelings about this song.
"BY THE RIVERS OF BABYLON..."
I sit here on the other side of the river from where, as a younger person, everything was better, greener, more correct, more understandable. I lament my inability to communicate perfectly with everyone, which I love.
"...where he sat down.."
right here in front of the most amazing invention of PersonKind, our computer, and our internet.
'....and there he wept.."
sometimes in joy, sometimes in deep sadness, always in hope, for there is no other reasonable alternative
"...when he remembered Zion..."
Although I love everything that our science based understanding of this Universe has shown me, sometimes I wish I knew less about how poorly we treat each other occasionally
"... when the wicked.."
I truly do hope they know who they are, but here I doubt, and keep thinking...
"...carried Us away captive..."
Here it looks like we have let ourselves become overly impressed by out ability to talk, and rationalize.
"...required of Us a song.."
for me, the true beginning of this meditation...
"...how can we sing the lord a song in a strange land..."
the Present moment is a strange land, the Future feels to me like a Stranger in a Strange land. This DKos thing is a wonderful beautiful thing where we can calmly discuss all the important issues and refine the argument, get the words right in the correct order so that we can All succeed.
I now have to skip forward to this portion of one version of this song
"...So let the words our mouth and the meditation of our Heart..."
Progressive people with empathy shall rule this world.
Part two of this diary to follow soonish.......................................