We Are On A Rock Spinning Silently
Here we are, spinning silently through space on a corkscrew rollercoaster.
In the grander scheme of the Universe, what goes on here is meaningless, at least; that's what some would have us believe.
I prefer to take the polar opposite view that it is, in fact, the most spectacular and important show in all the Universe.
For the wonder of it all is that we can sit on a wall on a night like tonight, look up at the stars and contemplate the entire thing.
The sheer fact that we can perceive all of this is the most remarkable thing ever.
It's especially prevalent to me when I'm on my own. That's maybe why I love my own company so much, nobody else to disturb my peace.
I've spent my entire adulthood looking at those calmer moments. I'm not looking anymore.
It appears that fear doesn't follow me there. No dread, no anxiety, no stress, no pressure. I could leave tomorrow, and that would be fine.
I'm ready to go, baby; now's as good a time as any!
That's the truth.
Concerns? Yes, I have concerns.
Worries? I've none.
I can bring bad scenarios to mind, no bother, just like you can. They would really upset me if they transpired. But what would be the point of spending my time considering that?
Fucking pointless.
[Tweet “Day 7: We Are On A Rock Spinning Silently #God #Religion #Music”]
What About God, How Does He Fit In?
It's late Saturday night; tunes are on in the background – God In The Numbers, Richard Ashcroft.
Music is a huge inspiration for me.
Stories rise up like people out of thin air when I hear music. It's like my mind offers me a movie of the entire thing.
Human Conditions – An album that is very special to me. All the while I was looking for whatever this music was playing.
It was the lyrics that I connected with in these songs. And now that I consider it are these not like the gospel? They are no different, except they come from a true place.
People who write these songs have lived it. Priests and preachers who live institutionalised lives can't connect with our hearts the way songwriters and poets do.
Very few of them, anyway…
Consider the number of festivals that will take place all over the world this summer. Music is religion, music is where God lives for so many people.
In the absence of everything, good music is there. Even if we have no music, we can remember a song and sing it, reproduce it note for note.
Music puts a smile on your face or a tear in your eye, or both at the same time. I'm smiling right now 🙂
As my mate Richard just sang in my ear, “Could there be life without the melody?”
Losing The Rage
I used to be very animated about my beliefs about God and religion. I had a lot of disdain and contempt for the Catholic church.
Now it's all a bit flat.
Religion doesn't frustrate me anymore, something has put my fire out there, and I'm not sure what it was or when it happened.
On reflection, it appears that it was the story I was sold that I had a problem with.
All those damn idiots with collars running the schools driving the thought patterns of children, growing them into good God-fearing toothless civilians.
The Church had a free hand to direct the sleepy people in the direction it chose, while the state had the perfect moral policing system they could have asked for.
Sure it was a perfect union.
Finding A New Way To Tell The Story
Now, I'm not about to go into a whole piece about spirituality and religion. God knows there are enough people out there doing that.
All I will say is that my concept of myself has changed from what I was taught.
Religion gave me and countless others a misunderstanding through a mixed-up story. And that's a real shame because there is truth in the story.
Now my story is different, but it's one that can't be explained no matter how well I script it.
My two boys entertain my ramblings even though they might not catch all I say completely.
I'm talking through the filter of my understanding, you see, and I mess up the story just like the Catholic church did. Besides, they don't need to hear it from me.
They already know the truth about things and don't need us to tell them or guide them. They are already connected, so better we give them the space to be there.
We Are On A Rock Spinning Silently
Here we are, spinning silently through space on our rock ball corkscrew rollercoaster with nowhere to go and nothing to do.
We're stuck here. This is all there is for us, yet we insist on conflict.
We drop bombs on people, leave people to sleep in the street, tolerate abuse of others, scream at lines of traffic, mistreat our children and rationalise abuse.
There's a distinct lack of compassion and a very real disconnect between our behaviour and what we know to be good for both ourselves and others.
Why is that?
I don't know, but sometimes it feels like I've been here before. How about you?
So now I play a game with myself where I am the entire Universe, and on that scale, what happens here is ok.
I close my eyes, and I take a trip across time and space to a place where everything is good. And you see, I realise that without these other things, I couldn't do that.
After a long time of questioning, it seems to me that the world doesn't need to be fixed.
It will be alright.
Kachi says
Beautiful piece.