I have been reluctant to blog about Pete Seeger's death at the age of 94, despite his powerful influence on folk music as a call to social justice. Seeger wasn't a Christian and he wasn't sure he believed in God. What might I write then, since I try to have a faith focus of some kind in every blog entry? Besides, the man played the banjo!
He was an extraordinary person, and, yes, a prophet as well as a bard. He "spoke truth to power" to employ an over-used phrase, challenging those who lay claim to privilege until the end of his long life. He hung out with the Occupy Wall St. crowd when he was in his nineties and led them in singing "We Shall Overcome." By my reckoning it was nearly 65 years after Seeger adapted the song from an old hymn "If My Jesus Wills", and decades after it became a rallying cry for the Civil Rights Movement. The man is deservedly a legend.
Andrew Revkin reminded us in his New York Times blog that Seeger also cared for the plight of the planet, not just people. He invites us to consider “'To My Old Brown Earth,' a song he wrote in 1958 that I consider one of his masterpieces — as simple and scintillating as a finely cut gem:"
To my old brown earth
And to my old blue sky
I’ll now give these last few molecules of “I.”
And to my old blue sky
I’ll now give these last few molecules of “I.”
This Paul Halley arrangement is lovely, and this choir is in a church. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LybxPjj0sbg#t=15And you who sing,
And you who stand nearby,
I do charge you not to cry.Guard well our human chain,
Watch well you keep it strong,
As long as sun will shine.And this our home,
Keep pure and sweet and green,
For now I’m yours
And you are also mine.
Any Pete Seeger thoughts, dear readers? Any banjo pickers I have offended?
Some very important challenges have been set for humanity by agnostics and atheists - just being - or claiming to be - Christian does not make one "The Voice to hear" (sad though that seems)
ReplyDeleteThere are those who believe in God because they want God to smite their enemies or help maintain their privelidged status, or win the superbowl.
ReplyDeleteThen there are those who do not believe in God but who preach and live God's golden rule. We need to look at "belief" and how it presents itself in this world.
It took the ancients a long time to "identify God and many philosophers and scientists to shape our understanding.
Who knows, maybe Pete Seeger believed in God and didn't know it.
Seeger admitted later in life that it might have been his definition of God -- and the narrow definitions of others -- that got in his way.
ReplyDeleteThanks Judy and Colin for responding.
HOW I GOT MY EX HUSBAND BACK WITH THE HELP OF REAL AND EFFECTIVE SPELL FROM DR omohan My name is joy, I never thought I will smile again, My husband left me with two kids for one year, All effort to bring him back failed I thought I'm not going to see him again not until I met a lady called Jesse who told me about a spell caster called Dr. omohan, She gave me his email address and mobile number and I contacted him and he assured me that within 48hours my husband will come back to me, In less than 48hours my husband came back started begging for forgiveness saying it is the devils work, so I'm still surprise till now about this miracle,i couldn't conceive but as soon as the spell was cast,i became pregnant and gave birth to my third child,if you need any assistance from him you can contact him via:email: dromohanspell@gmail.com Or WhatsApp or call him now: +2348164816038
ReplyDeleteDr. omohan also cures:
1. HIV / AIDS
2. HERPES 1/2
3. CANCER
4. ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease)
5. Hepatitis B
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete