A song written by Kerry Livgren
Artist: Kansas
Album: Masque
Year: 1975
Lyrics:
Sweet child of innocence
Living in the present tense
Father Time will take his toll
Rack your body and steal your soul
What became of all the years
Are you drowning in your tears
Who will catch you when you fall
Who will hear you when you call
I will comfort you, take your hand and see you through
I will take you through the door
Who do you think you are
Try to live forever and you won't get far
I wait behind your door
Makes no difference if you're rich or poor
Though you're weary and afraid
Still you try to flee my blade
Come and walk in my new land
If you'll only take my hand
In the image of those who have walked before me here
I am cast in the web of an ancient spell
I am holding on to life, I'm drifting in the stream
Everything's much clearer now
We live within a dream and never wake
Judge not by what you see
More than you can count are here with me
Give up your foolish pride
All that walk the earth have died!
Comments
10 years ago
As Americans, especially American males, we admire Strength. Strength comes in many forms; Physical strength, Fighting strength, intellectual strengths of knowledge and wisdom, the strengths of influence and motivation, the strengths of discipline, character and integrity, financial strength .And finally there are those that strengths that as humans, influenced by the our carnal desires, our family friend and our culture and influenced by Satan and his demons that strengths we all admire. Our sinful nature, our society and those spirits in rebellion against Jehovah/Yaweh all unite, just like the diverse crowd at the Crucifixion, to crave and envy, the strength to cause fear/respect and the strength to laugh at all moral, societal and religious restraints-the strength to defy and just get away with it. With some sort of sick Stockholm Syndrome we all vicariously love and hate with shame, admire and envy, the Bully and the Seducer. We laugh and applaud the Bully and the seducer, as long as their victims are others, but feel humiliated, betrayed and full of shame, when the Bully and the Seducer make us confront our own weakness, inadequacies and lack of courage. The perception of weakness brings shame and sorrow, frustration and depression. We human beings only respect the strong. True we may extend the Christian virtues of condescension and compassion, sympathy and even pity, which is far better than contempt or dismissal, but none of these expressions are respect. Respect they say is earned, and just like wealth, there must be evidence of it; a determined resolute spirit, firm convictions, strength of character and wisdom, strength f influence and motivating others, financial strength and/or physical strength engender admiration and respect in most people and envy of Loki and the sarcastic criticism of those who lack any such virtue. Unfortunately, yet inevitably, the entropy, atrophy and deterioration of diseases and death bring us that terrible and terrifying curse; Weakness. The Bible refers to the Joy of God as “one who rejoices, like a mighty man who enters a race” Even Jehovah/Yaweh understands the sheer ecstasy and exultation that comes from striving and training, from accomplishments and achievements in great physical exertions as in athletics or in combat. However at some point we reach our apogee, that period of life when achievements are possible, when the strainings, strivings, discipline and denials can bear the fruits of achievements, accomplishments and victory. But our mortality inevitably dictates that after this apogee of opportunity the decay of age, illness, accident or disease means our natural strength wanes Our telomeres no longer act as sufficient catalyst for cell mitosis . We are dying. We are growing inexorably weaker. Our abilities and opportunities are diminishing. What little we have accomplished is pretty much all that we will be able to accomplish.. Our strength , our stamina and physical capabilities wane. And as our strengths decline, so does the respect we once had in the community. One of the greatest fears of an American male is losing, or never again to be able to accrue strength. One of the greatest fears of an American male is losing, or not possessing strength. So when age, disability, accident or disease affect or mortal frames, without sympathy, what are we to do, as the body prepares to shed its spirit, like a Chrysalis ejects a butterfly? When sickness, illness, injury and age rob you of those joys of youth, those hopes of achievement, from the honor and respect of your family, peers and public? And how does one rejoice in the face of regrets for opportunities squandered, for hopes and dreams that will never be achieved.Hope yet in God. Just as in school, a bully brings out the fear, inadequacies and shame of weakness. The Bully of illness, disease, incurable injuries and dying, taunts, mocks, frustrates and leaves feelings of inferiority. Even we of Christ’s redeemed, who may never know strength again until after the resurrection, must deal with the loss of honor and respect, both from the public at large and from our own perceptions in the mirror. So, if you know a man in such a position please, give him honor and respect! Two ounces of honor and respect are worth more than two tons of sympathy, condescension and pity! Just some Karmic Chemotherapy philosophy. Hopefully Jehovah Rapha will grant us long, healthy, happy and productive lives with meaning and purpose. And hopefully I too will also have a lucrative vocation, chances to travel with restored health and a chance to get back on the fire trucks more often
10 years ago
As Americans, especially American males, we admire Strength. Strength comes in many forms; Physical strength, Fighting strength, intellectual strengths of knowledge and wisdom, the strengths of influence and motivation, the strengths of discipline, character and integrity, financial strength .And finally there are those that strengths that as humans, influenced by the our carnal desires, our family friend and our culture and influenced by Satan and his demons that strengths we all admire. Our sinful nature, our society and those spirits in rebellion against Jehovah/Yaweh all unite, just like the diverse crowd at the Crucifixion, to crave and envy, the strength to cause fear/respect and the strength to laugh at all moral, societal and religious restraints-the strength to defy and just get away with it. With some sort of sick Stockholm Syndrome we all vicariously love and hate with shame, admire and envy, the Bully and the Seducer. We laugh and applaud the Bully and the seducer, as long as their victims are others, but feel humiliated, betrayed and full of shame, when the Bully and the Seducer make us confront our own weakness, inadequacies and lack of courage. The perception of weakness brings shame and sorrow, frustration and depression. We human beings only respect the strong. True we may extend the Christian virtues of condescension and compassion, sympathy and even pity, which is far better than contempt or dismissal, but none of these expressions are respect. Respect they say is earned, and just like wealth, there must be evidence of it; a determined resolute spirit, firm convictions, strength of character and wisdom, strength f influence and motivating others, financial strength and/or physical strength engender admiration and respect in most people and envy of Loki and the sarcastic criticism of those who lack any such virtue. Unfortunately, yet inevitably, the entropy, atrophy and deterioration of diseases and death bring us that terrible and terrifying curse; Weakness. The Bible refers to the Joy of God as “one who rejoices, like a mighty man who enters a race” Even Jehovah/Yaweh understands the sheer ecstasy and exultation that comes from striving and training, from accomplishments and achievements in great physical exertions as in athletics or in combat. However at some point we reach our apogee, that period of life when achievements are possible, when the strainings, strivings, discipline and denials can bear the fruits of achievements, accomplishments and victory. But our mortality inevitably dictates that after this apogee of opportunity the decay of age, illness, accident or disease means our natural strength wanes Our telomeres no longer act as sufficient catalyst for cell mitosis . We are dying. We are growing inexorably weaker. Our abilities and opportunities are diminishing. What little we have accomplished is pretty much all that we will be able to accomplish.. Our strength , our stamina and physical capabilities wane. And as our strengths decline, so does the respect we once had in the community. One of the greatest fears of an American male is losing, or never again to be able to accrue strength. One of the greatest fears of an American male is losing, or not possessing strength. So when age, disability, accident or disease affect or mortal frames, without sympathy, what are we to do, as the body prepares to shed its spirit, like a Chrysalis ejects a butterfly? When sickness, illness, injury and age rob you of those joys of youth, those hopes of achievement, from the honor and respect of your family, peers and public? And how does one rejoice in the face of regrets for opportunities squandered, for hopes and dreams that will never be achieved.Hope yet in God. Just as in school, a bully brings out the fear, inadequacies and shame of weakness. The Bully of illness, disease, incurable injuries and dying, taunts, mocks, frustrates and leaves feelings of inferiority. Even we of Christ’s redeemed, who may never know strength again until after the resurrection, must deal with the loss of honor and respect, both from the public at large and from our own perceptions in the mirror. So, if you know a man in such a position please, give him honor and respect! Two ounces of honor and respect are worth more than two tons of sympathy, condescension and pity! Just some Karmic Chemotherapy philosophy. Hopefully Jehovah Rapha will grant us long, healthy, happy and productive lives with meaning and purpose. And hopefully I too will also have a lucrative vocation, chances to travel with restored health and a chance to get back on the fire trucks more often