Wednesday, October 12, 2005
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7 comments:
Lookie what I found....;-)
I'm looking forward to hearing what happens.
I want to play...
Actually, I think I will play...
This Thursday I was engaged with a discussion with some students on the cosmology of Ephesians and the principalities and powers that are at work in the world. We then chatted about the song "America" from Tracy Chapman's new album, Where You Live, trying to figure out who Chapman would identify as the powers and principalities and what we, as the church, should learn from her. What do y'all think?
Tracy Chapman, America:
You were lost and got lucky
Came upon the shore
Found you were conquering America
You spoke of peace
But waged a war
While you were conquering America
There was land to take
And people to kill
While you were conquering America
You served yourself
Did God's will
While you were conquering America
The ghost of Columbus haunts this world
'Cause you're still conquering America
The meek won't survive
Or inherit the earth
'Cause you're still conquering America
America
America
America
You found bodies to serve
Submit and degrade
While you were conquering America
Made us soldiers and junkies
Prisoners and slaves
While you were conquering America
America
America
America
You hands are at my throat
My back's against the wall
Because you're still conquering America
We're sick and tired hungry and poor
'Cause you're still conquering America
You bomb the very ground
That feeds your own babies
You're still conquering America
Your sons and your daughters
May never sing your praises
While you're conquering America
America
America
America
I see you eyes seek a distant shore
While you're conquering America
Taking rockets to the moon
Trying to find a new world
And you're still conquering America
America
America
America
The ghost of Columbus haunts this world
'Cause you're still conquering America
You're still conquering America
You're still conquering America
© 2001 Tracy Chapman
Tony,
I guess that is one way to look at it. What about the powers to which she alludes, the powers of imperialization, of self-assertion and conquest, the powers of pride and lust for more power? What about the power of those who on Sunday proclaim (or speak of peace from the first stanza) that Christ is our peace, that God's work in Christ was about the reconciliation of all people, of bringing all of creation back into fulness in him, and then on Monday go back vehemently to waging war on those who don't serve our imperial intersts? What about the meek (notice there is no specific mention of color here) who will not inherit the earth becuase of the selfish tendency toward self-reservation by those who do have?
Chapman's lyrics are powerful. I don't think we should just simply dismiss them becuase we think she holds a political ideology that might be different from our own. She has much to say to us as those who share a common humanity with everyone in the world.
Interesting conversation. I have to agree with Eric. To simply dismiss her lyrics would be to ignore the kinds of questions that we're trying to ask and get at with Summit. I'll admit that Tracy Chapman was certainly not the first person that came to mind, but she's definitely alluding to something that's worth exploring.
It seems much more difficult to listen to those words and own up to what's said than it does to simply dismiss them. I wonder how often I fall guilty to of some of the things she mentions?
Here is another little interesting exercise. Now that we have kicked off a little friendly banter on "America", listen to her song "Change", which seems to exploit the unwillingness of people to change their presuppositions in light of experience and new revelation, as well as our resistance to 'hear' other voices narrate their experience.
Also, I would say that her song "New Beginning" from the album of the same name is gospel. We could probably put that in our Sunday morning repertoire.
I am thankful I get to share in this little exploration from so far away. Hilty, shoot me an email if I am being deleterious to the cause...
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