America the Beautiful

Happy Independence Day, America! 

Have you ever heard Ray Charles' version of America the Beautiful? If not, click the link and take a listen.  It is a beautiful rendition.  He takes some artistic liberty to change the lyrics a bit, which changes the author, Katharine Lee Bates, intention when she wrote the poem in 1893, inspired by her journey to Pike's Peak in Colorado.  Read these lyrics: 

O beautiful for spacious skies 

For amber waves of grain

For purple mountain majesties 

Above the fruited plain!

America! America!

God shed his grace on thee

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea! 

O beautiful for pilgrim feet 

Whose stern impassioned stress

A thoroughfare of freedom beat 

Across the wilderness! 

America! America!

God mend thine every flaw

Confirm thy soul in self-control

Thy liberty in law! 

O beautiful for heroes proved 

In liberating strife

Who more than self their country loved 

And mercy more than life!

America! America!

May God thy gold refine

Till all success be nobleness

And every gain divine! 

O beautiful for patriot dream

That sees beyond the years

Thine alabaster cities gleam 

Undimmed by human tears!

America! America!

God shed his grace on thee

And crown thy God with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea! 

O beautiful for halcyon skies 

For amber waves of grain

For purple mountain majesties

Above the enameled plain! 

America! America! 

God shed his grace on thee

Till souls wax fair as earth and air 

And music-hearted sea!

O beautiful for pilgrims feet 

Whose stem impassioned stress

A thoroughfare for freedom beat 

Across the wilderness! 

America! America!

God shed his grace on thee

Till paths be wrought through 

Wilds of thought

by pilgrim foot and knee! 

O beautiful for glory-tale

Of liberating strife

When once and twice

For man's avail

Men lavished precious life! 

America! America! 

God shed his grace on thee

Till selfish gain no longer stain

The banner of the free! 

O beautiful for patriot dream 

that sees beyond the years 

Thine alabaster cities gleam 

undimmed by human tears! 

America! America! 

God shed his grace on thee

Till nobler men keep once again 

Thy whiter jubilee! 

Now, the lyrics are dated and perhaps 125 years later there are things we should not care to understand about it.  But there is something within this song that I believe we have missed.  

I grew up singing this song as an acclamation of what G-d has done for America.  We sang it as a declaration of America's greatness. Ray Charles sings it as such; however, Bates wrote this song as a prayer, as a longing for G-d's intervention.  Doesn't that change it quite a bit? Re-read it. Read it as a cry to G-d for mercy.  

You see, I think Bates, a woman living a fairly bountiful life, yet still oppressed for her gender and her orientation, understood something. That day standing on Pike's Peak she realized that for as beautiful as this nation was, for all that had happened to get us to that day 125 years ago, where she could pen these infamous words; there was still so far to go.  

This poem was NOT etched as a declaration of superiority, but instead it was penned as a supplication for mercy, for humility and for freedom. It was a prayer for something more than what was.  It was a prayer for America to be the land of the free that it longed to be when it adopted these words on July 4, 1776:  

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." 

May this song become a prayer again! May we today stand, like Katharine Lee Bates, on the beauty of the world that G-d has created and cry out to G-d for something more, for our nation to be the nation of freedom for all; a nation of brotherhood; in which more than self we love others and seek mercy for all; a nation that dreams paths that are wrought in wilds of thoughts; a nation that selfish gain is no longer our stain, but instead we fly the banner of the free and continue become better beyond what our eyes can see!

Joy Overcomes Sorrow

Truth: I have cried a great deal over the last three days. I have felt hopelessness. I have felt sorrow, a deep sorrow. In the middle of this hopelessness and sorrow, I know that G-d was right there with me and I know that God’s heart broke with mine. Just as my tears flowed, I know that Jesus wept.

Today, I decided that I would seek joy, that I would embrace the very people that are being rejected, that I would stand alongside them, in the midst of them and just breathe; being present to people. So I did two things:

1) I went to Paisley Park. This is Prince’s recording studio/sanctuary/home in Chanhassen, MN. When I walked in the gentleman at the door said to me, “Oh, you are going to love this. This is going to mean the world to you. I can see it in your eyes.” He continued to tell me that what he saw in my eyes was something different than any person that walked through that door today.  It was an utter joy and he could see that I knew I was walking on holy ground. It was holy ground because if Prince was nothing else, he was someone who knew who he was and embraced it as best he could, living a meaningful faith that he shared with the world. I cried a bit in this place, but not tears of sorrow. 

2) While I was in Minneapolis for meetings, it also happened to be Pride weekend. Today, I went to The Pride Festival. I did this alone. I took time to listen to people I did not know about their businesses, their stories, and their lives. I had the privilege of listening and the honor speaking words of love and encouragement (a drastic difference from the hate-filled sign holders standing on the outside). I spoke with LGBTQ persons of faith who have been harmed deeply by others and yet have not given up hope in Jesus. And I spoke with some who have been harmed deeply by others and blame Jesus.  I am certain that I walked through this festival with that same look of awe in my eyes as I did walking through the doors of Paisley Park.

Today I sought out holy ground, the ground that Jesus would have sought out had he been there. And it was there that I saw Jesus and it was there that joy overcame sorrow and hope began to silence hopelessness.

I do not have all the answers to the questions of life, but I know the answers, whatever they are, must be rooted in love, if they are to be valid.  We are called to love G-d with all we got and to love people...all people.  I just want to do that. I want to love passionately, unconditionally.  I want the world to know me and my G-d for love. Lord, help me love more deeply, care more passionately, and listen more intensely.  Open me up to your world that you so desperately love.  

I dream differently to jazz

Last night after a very long but blessed business trip, I climbed aboard the plane at PDX and found my seat. I was looking forward to this four hour flight that was ahead of me. I don't sleep much but enough usually, over this trip deep sleep escaped me.

A gentleman sat down next to me and well, I've never met a stranger. He stood out entering the plane because the stewardesses made a big deal about space. He and his friends were spread all over the plane but they all came carrying instruments, having to store them in the very back. 

As I prepared myself for the long flight, adjusting my jacket, getting my earbuds ready and detangled, I asked him how he reclined his seat. Being new to this airline I couldn't figure out how to do it. Turns out it took extra effort for me anyways since the lever was under the seat and you had to simultaneously pull the lever and push back with your back. With my vertical challenges and short arms, reclining seat turned out to be quite an amusing sight for all around. 

I asked this gentleman what instrument he played and if he was from Portland. He wasn't, but he played the trombone. Jazz was his trade. Tired as I was, I thanked him for his help and asked him one more question: "If I were to find one  Jazz artist on Apple Music to listen to for the flight who should I find?" After a moment of consideration his response was - Brad Mehldau. 

I looked him up. This Brad guy is a pretty prolific artist, so the gentleman picked an album for me. I laid back, closed my eyes and drifted off with my pink pillow wrapped snugly around my neck.

If you meet me, I might randomly ask you for an album to listen to. It keeps my musical life diverse. 

Music speaks to my soul. I'm a feeler. I feel everything deeply. I gave up memorizing music, albums, or who sings what a long time ago because I am also a thinker. My mind goes a mile a minute and inconsequential things are left to the side as I process, which to the horror of some and the joy of others I am an external processor. I talk things out. I write things out. Too some that means I talk too much. I guess, music joins me in the conversation and speaks to the deepest parts of my soul. 

No, I'm not going to tell you my dreams because you wouldn't understand, but I will tell you that I dream differently to jazz. Something in my soul listened intently while my eyes and my mind rested and I danced in my seat. 

I awoke as we were landing and I thanked this gentlemen. "Thank you for picking the soundtrack to my dreams."

He looked at me strangely, thought about it, then giving a twinkling smile said, "Ha! You're welcome!"  

Knowing that the man next to me was not the man on the album cover he had chosen, I asked him if he played music like that and he said no, his was a little different. Turns out I was sitting next to a pretty prolific jazz artist in his own right! And I dream differently to jazz.