Welcome
to Tuesday!!! My how the month has flown! It certainly has been an
eventful January! The Falcons and the Patriots have punched their Super
Bowl tickets in some pretty impressive displays over their opponents.
Many folks begin the process of preparing what my Aunt Bea, her name
was actually Vera (wouldn't you go by "Bea" as well?), used to call her
"Infernal Revenue Service" papers together so she could be ready for tax
season.
And then there was the Inauguration of a new President. Welcome to Tuesday!!!
You
may have noticed when reading Tuesday's Musical Notes that the
signature good bye is "'Til Tuesday". I can't take the credit for any
originality for that sign off as the fact is I took it from the name of the 80's band, 'Til Tuesday.
The band 'Til Tuesday was a simple New Wave combo that stayed on the
charts for 21 weeks, peaking at #8, with today's feature song, "Voices
Carry". The band produced albums from 1985-1988 and then broke up as
lead singer Aimee Mann developed her solo career. "Voices Carry" would
be their biggest hit and cause many to consider the band to be a one-hit
wonder.
The
song speaks about the oppression felt in a one sided relationship.
With Mann's exquisite vocal chops as a backdrop, the lyric expresses the
overwhelming desire to reveal the love she feels for her partner. He
wants to hear nothing of it and begins the process of trying to silence
her. "Keep it down now, voices carry." This defines the relationship until, at least in the video, Mann's character gets discontented enough with her situation that at the most inopportune moment she reveals the domination by which she has been under.
Flash forward to 2017 and to the inauguration of President 45.
We
live in a time where if you think something, it seems to wind up on
Facebook, Instagram, twitter, etc. Sometimes these social media outlets
can be great tools, other times...not so much. If you need evidence of
this just take a look at ANY post having to do with the recent election
and inauguration of Donald J. Trump as President of the United States.
Tuesday's
Musical Notes remains vigilant in being a voice for truth, justice, and
the American way and will never endorse ANY candidate, that simply is
not our purpose. We however must call to attention the well intentioned
among us who may find themselves regretting some of the rhetoric, ON
BOTH SIDES OF THE DEBATE, regarding the recent election.
"With
great power comes great responsibility". Never have more truer words
been spoken (by Spider-man or during the French Revolution as some
historians claim (quoteinvestigator.com)) than what we have evidenced recently.
Given the current context, the phrase might read, "With a great
platform to speak, comes great responsibility" In other words, watch
what you say...Voices Carry.
It
is troubling to hear the vitriol that fills most social media. The
election seems to have brought many things to a head that were boiling
just underneath the surface. Add to that the exposure that a viral
video might have as a partner in the process and you have what could
really amount to a full blown misunderstanding. I seriously doubt that
Madonna really has wanted to blow up the White House, however, SHE DID
SAY IT. Regardless of whether it was in the "heat of the moment" or
taken out of context, someone with the platform like Madonna's should
actually know better as should anyone who suggested or perpetrated
violence during this or any inauguration day celebration. On the flip
side, if you follow President Trump's twitter account, (really how can
you tell intent without facial expression, vocal inflection, and one on one conversation?)...well 'nuff said. Be careful...Voices Carry.
Of
course, the Bible says much about the personal responsibility we should
take with our words. One of the most outspoken is one particular Epistle, or letter, in the New Testament. In light of recent events, we submit for your approval the brother of Jesus, James.
I
confess that as a Christian, many times I have found the book of James
to be one of the hardest books to read and study. I say this not in the
fact that the language is difficult or the symbolism is hard to
understand. This context of "hard" is a convicting emotion, a feeling
that James is speaking directly to me instead of the Jewish Christians
who were scattered outside of Palestine at the time of the letter's
composition. You see James, especially James 3, speaks about a struggle that is prevalent amongst pre-Christians and Christians alike. It teaches of the responsibility we have over our tongues. Are you sure you're ready for this? If so, click on!!!
This chapter causes a memory from the deep recesses of my brain. I can see it through the fog...a building...a Sunday School teacher...Can
you hear the children's chorus? "Oh be careful little mouths what you
say. Oh be careful little mouths what you say. For the Father up above
is looking down in love, oh be careful little mouths what you say."
"A
word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish
nearly anything—or destroy it!" (James 3:5 The Message paraphrase)
"This
is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can’t tame a tongue—it’s never
been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongues we
bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and
women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth!"
(James 3:7-10 The Message)
If
you call yourself a Christian, beware. You have a responsibility that
you may not even realize. James tells us in chapter 3 that we are not
exempt from our words being problems. What you say does make a
difference. What you say is heard by someone. How you speak, audibly or
in 144 characters or less, gets listened to and read. James is no
respecter of persons. Remember he is writing to Christians!!!
So
the next time you decide to write, speak, tweet, etc., think about who
might be on the receiving end of that diatribe or elucidation. You have
the power to tear down or build up, literally at the tips of your
fingers or at the end of your tongue. That is powerful...and with great
power comes great responsibility...or perhaps in Madonna's case, a secret service investigation.
Yes,
I get it. I've taken the whole song out of context and placed it
neatly into a form that fits my agenda. But that never, ever happens in
the media you read...does it? Hush, keep it down now, Voices Carry...
'Til Tuesday,
Serving HIM by serving you,
Randy
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