I missed yesterday’s promised first insight, so I’ll get to that now. My Grandmother – for those who asked, and I thank you for thinking of her – seems to be doing ok. They admitted her and she remains in the hospital, but the belief is she can come home tonight or tomorrow. I don’t deal well with hospitals or sick relatives, and in fact, I typically block it all out to the point that I’ve been known to forget entire hospitals stays for family only short months after they’ve happened. Anyways, as I drove late on Saturday night to the hospital I had my new Jars of Clay album in, and a song came on that seemed to help. The lyrics, repeated, were only: “Jesus’ blood never failed me yet; there’s one thing I know, that he loves me so.”
After opening up the liner notes I found this very interesting little blurb on the origins of this song:
“We originally heard this song on Gavin Bryars recording. It was a 72 minute loop of a homeless man singing this simple chorus over and over. The contrast of one so lowly expressing such certain and simple faith was and continues to be nothing short of astounding. The power of Gavin’s recording is a testimony to one of this world’s most profound and sacred mysteries: though they suffer… they have joy.”
I’m trying to track down the recording now to hear the original, but the blurb above found in the liner notes speaks a rather honest truth to me. We always seem to want, and want, and want, and want. And when we get, we want again. And then when we don’t have, we turn ourselves back to something higher than us for help. It’s typically around then that I’ll come across someone far worse off than me, but filled with a level of joy that almost makes me envious. Here’s hoping we can all find that way to be unconditionally happy throughout 2004.
Cheers!