Mtr Mary Trainor
The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind...
Dear friend,
If there’s a classic from the 1960’s protest music, I would argue for Bob Dylan’s Blowin’ in the Wind. Songs of that era, also branded as “folk” and “anti-war,” spoke about and to injustices, and called for a new order. At its root, the music was about justice for people at every rung of society, including the rich, who sometimes use their money and power as shields against accountability.
In other words, the music addressed a culture very much like the one we live in now.
As with every artist, there are fans. And I was, am, and will continue to be a fan of Bob Dylan. But I learned something about him recently that I never knew, which only proved to me once again that even though you think you know everything about a person, there is always more to discover.
The Office Gospel for today from Luke is part of what is referred to as Jesus’ farewell address. This portion of Chapter 22 follows close on the heels of his message about the fig tree--”as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near,” commentary that comes with the admonition to be ready and not caught off guard.
Today, Jesus is worried about Peter, who exhibits bluster and loyalty, yet this is the same Peter who Jesus knows will deny him three times.
Jesus attempts to make disciples aware of their vulnerability in the face of their enemies: Satan, he says, “has demanded to sift all of you like wheat.”
The signs of what is to come are all around if only they knew how to read them.
How many times must a man look up before he can really see the sky?
I have learned there are many truths I never see, never hear. Those from Jesus are essential--so I struggle to pay attention there. Other truths just never rise to the level of my consciousness or curiosity. They may or may not be lifesaving, these truths, but I just don’t notice them. They can be right in front of me, and yet remain undiscovered.
My mother was the age I am now when I learned that heights both terrified her and attracted her. We were on vacation, staying in a ninth-floor condo. She was on the balcony when she called out, “Heights always inspire me to jump. It’s like an irresistible urge.” She stood looking out at the Pacific Ocean, occasionally looking down to the hard concrete nine floors down.
I raced to the balcony, yelling, “You’re kidding, right?” Her: “No, it’s been that way all my life.” Me: “Then how come I don’t know this?” Her: “I guess we’ve never been this high up before.”
How many deaths will it take ‘til he knows that too many people have died?
My recently discovered truth about Bob Dylan? He was a born-again Christian for about a decade, starting in the early 1970s. This wasn't a private thing, either. He made three albums of Christian music. And I missed it all.
The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind, the answer is blowin' in the wind.
Mtr Mary