Tuesday's Musical Notes
Welcome to Tuesday and another edition of Tuesday's Musical Notes.
Yesterday was an interesting day in the United States of America. Many folks enjoyed a day off from their normal work schedule. They used this time to cook on a grill, travel to family members for a visit, perhaps a cemetery decoration day, or began the season of summer by enjoying a variety of water sports. Here at the Notes, we took a few moments throughout the weekend to ponder the reason for the extended weekend, Memorial Day.
Memorial Day in the United States has been celebrated since 1868. It was observed on May 30 until 1971 when it took its place on the last Monday in May. It is sometimes confused with Veteran's Day (November 11th). While both holidays celebrate our valiant soldiers and defenders of freedom, Memorial Day is the occasion to remember those who in Abraham Lincoln's words, "gave the final full measure of devotion" to their country by laying down their lives. A somber reminder that freedom is never free...
And now on to The Notes...
It is well noted that the late '60s were a tumultuous time for the United States. Freedom had once again become a discussion among the populace. This freedom however had less to do with releasing those in bondage from their oppressors and much more to do with expression and the feeling of being able to do anything one wanted. Freedom really became a phrase associated with nothin' left to lose...
Written by Kris Kristofferson , and originally recorded by Roger Miller in 1969, "Me and Bobby McGee" became a #1 hit posthumously for Janis Joplin in 1971, the second single to ever achieve the #1 spot after its singer died. ("Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding was the first) The song has been recorded by a host of artists, including Miller (1969), Kristofferson (1970), Joplin (1971), The Grateful Dead (1971), Blind Melon (1994, Tuesday's Musical Notes - "No Rain"), all the way up to a 2016 cover by actor/singer Matt Doyle (War Horse (movie), Uncontrolled (album)).
"Me and Bobby McGee" is a song about a couple of drifters who were attempting to find their way. Music, specifically, the blues, served as the soundtrack to their adventures. Eventually their paths parted and the remorse of that separation had set in on the singer. Perhaps the freedom they so desperately sought was not found in each other as they had once thought.
Tuesday's Musical Notes supports the ideology that ultimately there is only one true path to freedom. The pathway was chosen by someone Who gave up everything that He knew to associate with man. He literally had everything to lose for freedom's sake and chose to lose it all willingly. The One who sacrificed everything so that we could have a restored relationship with God was Jesus. This makes for a different kind of Memorial Day.
Let's face it. By looking across at our modern day landscape, it is easy to see that we are not good people. Everyday of our lives we are impacted by someone's, perhaps even our own, evil. Because of this evil, our relationship with God, the Creator of mankind is broken. God is pure holiness. He cannot have a relationship with someone who is evil. For us to have any chance of a restored relationship to God, a price had to be paid. Jesus was that price. He, as God the Son, became a man. He was born via virgin birth. He had no semblance of evil during His lifetime on earth. He was accused falsely and illegally by the religious ruling authorities of His time to die the most horrendous form of torture and capital punishment that has ever been devised. He did this so He could secure our freedom and restore our relationship with God...if...we chose to believe that He did all of this for us. He came back to life after 3 days and was seen by many people. He is now in heaven providing mediation between us and God. It really is that simple. That kind of freedom causes a good feeling that nothing can shatter. Feeling good IS easy, when we believe.
If all of this seems far fetched and like some kind of religious proselytizing, consider this; the source material for the narrative in the above paragraph is the Bible. Historians, archaeologists, literary experts, and scientists agree that there are more archaeological "pieces" of the Bible supporting the credibility of the manuscript of the Bible than for any other ancient literary piece. "How Do Other Ancient Texts Compare To The New Testament?" from Tough Questions Answered blog, December 11, 2012 by Bill Pratt Think about this, there is more evidence to testify to the lives of Peter, Paul, Mary (sorry couldn't resist!), and ultimately Jesus than there is to support the existence of Alexander the Great. In light of this, the Bible, this incredible book that details how one can achieve freedom from the evil that so easily ensnares us, has more than enough authoritative credibility based on physical evidence to be believed.
In a letter to the new Christian church in Rome, the apostle Paul wrote; "For whoever will call upon the name of the Lord, will be saved". This is the beginning of a series of passages known as the Roman Road. Take a few minutes and read through these passages that illustrate true freedom. In reality, there is much that you could lose...
That's it friend. With a side trip to Corinth, Paul goes down a Roman road to explain how you get to the point of ultimate, eternal freedom. Now, what do you do with this truth? Accept Jesus' forgiveness. Believe in His sacrifice. Have your relationship with God restored through His sacrifice. And then feelin' good is easy when you sing His news...and this feelin' good is good enough for me...
'Til Tuesday,
Serving HIM by serving you,
Randy
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