Just to be clear, I don’t always wake up singing hymns.
This one left me thinking of Jud and reflecting.
“Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly, I’m gonna love one man till I die” from Showboat.
Well, it’s not the exact lyrics but it’s what I woke up singing.
As many of you know, I live in Gloucester, America’s oldest seaport and home to many fishing folk.
I don’t know a lot about the fishing industry but I do know one thing.
Fish gotta swim.
As some of you’ve heard, Dolphins have recently been sighted swimming in the bays in Venice, Italy.
And patches of blue sky reveal birds and more in parts of China.
Birds gotta fly.
The domino effect from this global pandemic continues to force us to reassess what and who we value. Mankind isn’t who Jerome Kern had in mind when he penned those lyrics. But we’re learning we need each other and something in us dies without human connections.
And I believe, we need to connect with God.
A Tale of Two Cities, written by Dickens in 1859 during a dark time in history, still speaks,
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times
it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness,
It was the epoch of belief,
It was the epoch of incredulity,
It was the season of Light
It was the season of Darkness,
It was the spring of hope,
It was the winter of despair.
We had everything before us…”
Wars alter “everything before us” for good or ill.
If we endure and make sacrifices now, both nature and we will breathe easier.
Hopefully, one day we’ll share how the worst of times brought out the best in us and for each other.
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12 Comments
Perhaps you could find part-time work on a fishing boat!
I’d rather eat ’em than catch ’em. But I do appreciate how tough and dangerous the work…from what I’ve read.
Amen, Sister!
Keep washing your hands in Michigan, dear Marty and Dale.
Thank you Jan
You’re welcome, Robin. We’re in this together.
Thank you for keeping your rhythms, Jan–even though the days are strange, you aren’t. It’s called commitment and we appreciate that you care enough to help us think things through…with a twinkle in your eye!
Love hearing from you, Forever Friend. Half the time my eyes seem to be watering these days. Sometimes from hard truths, sometimes from sweet examples of how folks, young and old, are finding unique ways to connect and care.
I like your capacious view of hymnody!
And I like that you’ve chosen to read this blog when you’re surrounded by a library of great reading material. Sing in place, Russ.
Thanks Jan,
We used to ask, “when will the robins show up?” Now, the robins are wondering when the residents will show up! His care for the birds should bring great promise to us.
Blessings, Dale
It gives me a shot of hopeful perspective when I read Matthew 6 in The Message,”Look at the birds, free and unfettered… carefree in the care of God. And you count far more to Him than birds.”