Good News for a Change, Take 1: Learning that Works

Many solutions are not difficult to understand. We need to praise and learn from those who possessed the imagination and fortitude to help us do the most difficult task facing a human: change.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2113794-1,00.html

And it’s a sad picture, the final blow hits you
Somebody else gets what you wanted again
You know it’s all the same, another time and place
Repeating history and you?re getting sick of it

But I believe in whatever you do
And I’ll do anything to see it through

Because these things will change, can you feel it now?
These walls that they put up to hold us back will fall down
It’s a revolution, the time will come for us to finally win

We’ll sing hallelujah!
We’ll sing hallelujah! Oh

So we’ve been outnumbered, raided and now cornered
It’s hard to fight when the fight ain’t fair
We’re getting stronger now from things they never found
They might be bigger but we’re faster and never scared

You can walk away and say we don’t need this
[From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/t/taylor-swift-lyrics/change-lyrics.html]
But there’s something in your eyes says we can beat this

‘Cause these things will change, can you feel it now?
These walls that they put up to hold us back will fall down
It’s a revolution, the time will come for us to finally win

We’ll sing hallelujah!
We’ll sing hallelujah! Oh

Tonight we standed on our knees
To fight for what we worked for all these years
And the battle was long, it’s the fight of our lives
Will we stand up champions tonight?

It was the night things changed, can you see it now?
These walls that they put up to hold us back fell down
It’s a revolution, throw your hands up, ’cause we never gave in

We’ll sing hallelujah!
We sang hallelujah!
Hallelujah!

Change by Taylor Swift from Fearless (2008)

Marriage: Can We All Get Along?

Washington is rightly criticized for our political leaders not coming together to find ways to work together to address the problems that confront us all.

As citizens we tell pollsters we are disgusted with Congress, and its approval ratings are veering toward single digits and are at historic lows.

In Britain, people who believe in marriage but disagree on its definition have come together to make a statement about the central importance of marriage.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-17906017

Do we have the courage to do the same in America?

I have published at length on why I believe marriage should be between one man and one woman. My convictions on this issue are unchanged and as I have done further research I have felt increasingly persuaded of the importance of defining marriage accordingly. But I would willingly join those who disagree with me about the definition of marriage, yet agree on its importance. Will anyone join me?

I know there will be many who will disagree with me, especially in jurisdictions where the definition of marriage remains unchanged but is being challenged.

Making a case and taking a stand for the definition of marriage is important.

But, as we speak, the institution of marriage is imploding in Western Civilization. 45% of American Children are born outside of marriage, and for the first time a majority of people under the age of 30 are not married. It is my conviction that the reason the definition of marriage is becoming so fluid is because we as a society are losing faith in the institution. Cohabitation is the new “marriage.”

If I am right, we will only be able to engage our society in a serious discussion about the nature and definition of marriage, once we have recovered a conviction of its importance.

Western civilization will not end if people who disagree on some issues can come together on others.

It will not survive if we cannot.

If we’ve lost the ability to transcend partisanship when possible, we have lost the means to preserve freedom.

You, you think it’s cool to be crazy
I say you’re born rich – stay rich
There’s no point in taking chances.
And me, I wouldn’t call it a sophomore slump, no, I’d say
I’m one step closer to bein’ just where I want to be

Away from this scene,
Away from this machine

Alright!

Meet me in the middle,
Well c’mon let’s make up a dance
And we’ll agree to call it the compromise

Step one: find a partner, grab a pen
And don’t you dare ask questions,
Just sign on the dotted line
Step two: throw your partner behind a desk
Will then do absolutely nothing
So it’s your job to dance and smile the whole time

Don’t call it a trend,
’cause it’s the only way we think to get ahead

Meet me in the middle
Well c’mon let’s make up a dance
And we’ll agree to call it the compromise

There’s no sense in complainin’
If it doesn’t change your minds
Take me by the hand, let’s compromise

I can feel your feet touchin’ mine
If you can’t dance, there’s someone else in line

Meet me in the middle,
Well c’mon let’s make up a dance
And we’ll agree to call it the compromise

There’s no sense in complainin’
If it doesn’t change your minds
Take me by the hand, let’s compromise

The Compromise by The Format from Dog Problems (2006)

Under African Skies

How a refugee from Sudan exposed a log in my eye. Gracefully.

http://www.sharewik.com/blogs/item/under-african-skies

Joseph’s face was black as night
The pale yellow moon shone in his eyes
His path was marked
By the stars in the southern hemisphere
And he walked his days
Under African skies
This is the story of how we begin to remember
This is the powerful pulsing of love in the vein
After the dream of falling and calling your name out
These are the roots of rhythm
And the roots of rhythm remain

In early memory
Mission music
Was ringing ’round my nursery door
I said take this child, Lord
From Tucson, Arizona
Give her the wings to fly through harmony
And she won’t bother you no more

This is the story of how we begin to remember
This is the powerful pulsing of love in the vein
After the dream of falling and calling your name out
These are the roots of rhythm
And the roots of rhythm remain

Joseph’s face was black as night
And the pale yellow moon shone in his eyes
His path was marked
By the stars in the southern hemisphere
And he walked the length of his days
Under African skies

Under African Skies by Paul Simon from Graceland (1986)

Faith and Consequences

I may be an ordained minister, but I struggle with the demands of faith all the same.

http://www.sharewik.com/blogs/1627502

Hey there sad eyes.
What’s on your mind?
Don’t look so down.
Give it some time.

You don’t have to be so hard on yourself.
I know the world can be a brutal place.
Please don’t let it steal your smile away.

Cause when the sky’s the darkest,
You can see the stars.
And when you fall the hardest,
You find how strong you are.

Close your eyes, rest awhile.
It’s been a long long day.
So come on baby, baby have a little faith.

Let those tears fall,
You gave it your all.
It’s all you can do.
I’ll be here for you.
And there goes your pride,
Crushed on the ground.
Sometimes it takes a wall to tumble down,
For you to see who’s gonna stick around.

Cause when the sky’s the darkest,
You can see the stars.
And when you fall the hardest,
You find how strong you are.

Close your eyes, rest awhile.
It’s been a long long day.
So come on baby, baby have a little faith.

Sometimes it gets worse before it gets better yeah.
And it takes so much to be brave.
Sometimes it feels like forever.
But when all the lights begin to fade.

And when the sky’s the darkest,
You can see the stars.
And when you fall the hardest,
You find how strong you are.

Close your eyes, rest awhile.
It’s been a long long day.
So come on baby baby.
And have a little faith.
Have a little faith.
Ooh, oh, ooh.
Have a little faith.
Have a little faith.

Faith by Jordin Sparks from Battlefield (2009)

Ashley Madison, Dating Websites, and the Future of Relationship

Reflections on our relational future after a cursory stroll through ashley madison.com (guaranteed marital affairs) and numerous dating websites.

http://www.sharewik.com/blogs/1624927

Ah, look at all the lonely people
Ah, look at all the lonely people

Eleanor Rigby, picks up the rice
In the church where a wedding has been
Lives in a dream

Waits at the window, wearing the face
That she keeps in a jar by the door
Who is it for?

All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?

Father McKenzie, writing the words
of a sermon that no one will hear
No one comes near

Look at him working, darning his socks
In the night when there’s nobody there
What does he care?

All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?

Ah, look at all the lonely people
Ah, look at all the lonely people

Eleanor Rigby, died in the church
And was buried along with her name
Nobody came

Father McKenzie, wiping the dirt
From his hands as he walks from the grave
No one was saved

All the lonely people
(Ah, look at all the lonely people)
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
(Ah, look at all the lonely people)
Where do they all belong?

Eleanor Rigby by Lennon and McCartney from Revolver (1966)

The Day the Sun Stood Still

Our relationship with God is lived on a continuum of belief to doubt. In my my latest sharewik blog I recount a day that drew me toward faith.

http://www.sharewik.com/blogs/item/the-day-the-sun-stood-still

We were young and bound for glory
Itchin’ for a fight like you
Bringin’ hell and purgatory
To the boys who wore the blue
And I thought I’d seen it all
Till the day night wouldn’t fall
Oh, how the sun did blaze
Wouldn’t go down for days
I got shot and lost my rifle
When the first wave hit the rise
And the guns rolled out like thunder
And the black smoke burned my eyes
And I watched it all unfold
Just the way the Bible told
Joshua’s endless day
Keepin’ the night at bay
And the soldiers kept a comin’
Til the ground looked like a sea
Of blue and grey
And I watched it from a distance
Wonderin’ if I would’ve fought or run away

The day the sun stood still
How they beat the bloody drums
And the seconds moved like hours
But the sunset never comes
And the cannons shake the ground
And the bullets test your will
Even shadows found no cover
On that Godforsaken hill
The day the sun stood still

And I watched them lean their shoulders
To the fearful hail of lead
And I prayed for night to save us
And I cried and bowed my head
Bt the sun just kept a-creepin’
‘Cross a cold indifferent sky
Castin’ a deadly glow
On all the men below
All the hours in a lifetime
Don’t add up to one while minute in that sun
And the heroes and the cowards
Look the same when they have fallen by the gun
The day the sun stood still

And the north and south looked west
But the evening star was sleeping
And the daylight wouldn’t rest
Out on the killing floor
The red sun on the the hill
Shinin’ down on all the dead men
With a strange and eerie chill
The day the sun stood still

Do not judge what you brother does
Till you’ve walked a mile
Rank by bloody file
Who’s to say if you’ll run or stay and fight?

The day the sun stood still
Is just beneath the skin
In the soul of every soldier
Every battle that he’s in
The day the sun stood still
Will haunt your dreams at night
And stalk your every sunrise
Though you will not know it till

The day the sun stood still
How they beat the bloody drums
And the seconds moved like hours
But the sunset never comes
And the cannons shake the ground
And the bullets test your will
Even shadows found no cover
On that Godforsaken hill
The day the sun stood still

The Day the Sun Stood Still by Frank Wildhorn; performed by Travis Tritt from The Civil War: The Complete Work (1998)

Why Do Christians do Stupid Things?

A students recently asked my “Why are Christians so stupid?” You can read all about it at my latest sharewik.com blog:

http://www.sharewik.com/blogs/1619829

Night lift up the shades
let in the brilliant light of morning
but steady there now
for I am weak and starving for mercy
sleep has left me alone
to carry the weight of unravelling where we went wrong
it’s all I can do to hang on
to keep me from falling
into old familiar shoes

How stupid could I be
A simpleton could see
That you’re no good for me
But you’re the only one I see

Love has made me a fool
it set me on fire and watched as I floundered
unable to speak
except to cry out and wait for your answer
but you come around in your time
speaking of fabulous places
create an oasis
dries up as soon as you’re gone
you leave me here burning
in this desert without you

How stupid could I be
A simpleton could see
That you’re no good for me
But you’re the only one I see

Everything changes everything falls apart
I can’t stand to feel myself losing control
In the depth of my senses I know

How stupid could I be
A simpleton could see
That you’re no good for me
But you’re the only one I see

Stupid by Sarah McLachlan from Afterglow (2003)

Why is it so Hard to See Myself in the Mirror?

Here is my latest sharewik.com blog where I ponder why it’s so hard to see myself in a mirror.

http://www.sharewik.com/blogs/item/what-you-can’t-see-in-the-mirror

[Lil Wayne:]
With everything happening today
You don’t know whether you’re coming or going
But you think that you’re on your way
Life lined up on the mirror don’t blow it
Look at me when I’m talking to you
You looking at me but I’m looking through you
I see the blood in your eyes
I see the love in disguise
I see the pain hidden in your pride
I see you’re not satisfied
And I don’t see nobody else
I see myself I’m looking at the

[Bruno Mars:]
Mirror on the wall, here we are again
Through my rise and fall
You’ve been my only friend
You told me that they can understand the man I am
So why are we here talkin’ to each other again?

[Lil Wayne:]
Uh, I see the truth in your lies
I see nobody by your side
But I’m with you when you are all alone
And you correct me when I’m looking wrong
I see the guilt beneath the shame
I see your soul through your window pain
I see the scars that remain
I see you Wayne, I’m looking at the…

[Bruno Mars:]
Mirror on the wall, here we are again ([Wayne:] Yeah)
Through my rise and fall ([Wayne:] Uh-Huh)
You’ve been my only friend ([Wayne:] my only friend)
You told me that they can understand the man I am ([Wayne:] they can understand)
So why are we here ([Wayne:] misunderstood) talkin’ to each other again?

[Lil Wayne:]
Looking at me now I can see my past
Damn I look just like my fucking dad
Light it up, that’s smoke in mirrors
I even look good in the broken mirror
I see my momma smile that’s a blessing
I see the change, I see the message
And no message could’ve been any clearer
So I’m startin’ with the man in the…

[Bruno Mars:]
Mirror on the wall,

[Lil Wayne:]
MJ taught me that.

[Bruno Mars:]
Here we are again
Through my rise and fall
You’ve been my only friend

[Lil Wayne:]
Take em to Mars man

[Bruno Mars:]
You told me that they can understand the man I am
So why are we talkin’ to each other again?

[Lil Wayne:]
Uh…

Mirror on the wall, here we are again ([Wayne:] yeah)
Through my rise and fall
You’ve been my only friend ([Wayne:] Any questions?)
You told me that they can ([Wayne:] I come to you) understand the man I am ([Wayne:] You always have the answer)
So why are we here talkin’ to each other again?

[Bruno Mars:]
Mirror on the wall.

[Wayne:]
A.B.P.
Looks like I did take em’ to Mars this time

[Bruno Mars:]
(So why are we talking to each other again?)

Mirror by Lil Wayne from deluxe edition of Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter IV (2011)

Prison Inmates and the Healing of my Soul

Every month my best night is the Saturday night I spend at the NH State Prison for Men in Concord, NH. I write about it here at sharewik.com

http://www.sharewik.com/blogs/item/live-and-let-die

When you were young and your heart was an open book
You used to say live and let live
(You know you did, you know you did, you know you did)
But in this ever changing world in which we live
Makes you give in and cry.

Live and let die.

Live and Let Die by Paul and Linda McCartney (1973)

New Hampshire Primary 2012: Over and Out

My daughter is on this cruise ship. I am not. But until next week I am going to pretend.

Until then ….

1977
Nibblin on sponge cake
Watchin the sun bake
All of those tourists covered with oil
Strummin my six-string
On my front porch swing
Smell those shrimp they’re beginnin to boil

Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffett from Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude (1977)