There’s a lot going on right now. The shooting death of Renee Good in Minneapolis. Refugees from Somalia are losing their Temporary Protected Status. Gaza continues to experience military strikes. Ukraine is fighting for its very life. There is unrest in many, many places here and abroad.
How do we cope in a time and place where everything seems to be conspiring against hope?
One of my favorite artists is Cat Stevens, now known as Yusuf Islam. He’s a British musical artist who has sold over 100 million records. His music blends folk, rock and pop with introspective lyrics. I’m very much a fan of those who can blend their artistry with ways to express our deepest needs and longings.
One of Stevens’ songs is titled, Oh Very Young. He writes and sings…
“Oh, very young, what will you leave us this time?
You’re only dancing on this earth for a short while
And though your dreams may toss and turn you now
They will vanish away like your daddy’s best jeans
Denim blue fading up to the sky
And though you want him
to last forever
You know he never will
You know he never will
And the patches make the goodbye harder still
Oh, very young, what will you leave us this time?
There’ll never be a better chance to change your mind
And if you want this world to see better days
Will you carry the words of love with you?
Will you ride the great white bird into heaven?
And though you want to last forever
You know you never will
You know you never will
And the goodbye makes the journey harder still”
Its a very poignant and haunting song. At first blush it seems as if he’s talking about growing older and how we only have a short time here on this earth. But its much deeper than that. He is telling us we have a short time here, but he’s asking us what we will leave behind us when we go? He sings, when we ride the great white bird into heaven (the Holy Spirit), will we take the words of love with us? He tells us there’s never going to be a better time to affect the world than right now.
What we do today, how we carry ourselves, how we interact with others has a lasting effect on the world at large. We may not think so, but one word, one act, one impulse can make or break someone else.
In the face of the mounting atrocities, chaos and violence we see and hear about, what will we leave behind us today? I know there is a great divide in our country right now. I know that divide has deepened and widened, and been exacerbated for political gain. But we each control how we respond to others. We have the ability to leave love behind in each encounter. We can love louder than hate. We can treat our neighbors with respect and love, even if they don’t return the same. What we do matters. What we say matters. Love matters.
Stevens tells us we are “only dancing on the earth for a short while.” If we want the world to see better days, we can’t keep the love inside of us, or between those we agree with, we have to leave that love behind us, given unfalteringly and unabashedly to everyone. Many of us aren’t so “very young,” but we are still here and still have the ability to leave this world a better place than we are finding it right now. We can not only love, we can teach those younger than us to love. What they see in us, they will emulate.
May God bless our efforts to love. What will leave the world when we too ride the Great White Bird in the sky? May it be love.
Your companion on the Way,
Pastor Tom