Life always has a soundtrack for me, I’m never without a song in my head even at the saddest moments. That’s why this song “Dance with life” resonates with me.
Life is such a gift, sharing it with people we love is to be treasured, making memories for ourselves and others. Making a positive difference to the lives of others is a feeling like no other.
In my head sometimes the dance is a proper dance like a Charleston and sometimes it’s a waltz or a slow smooch. It’s maybe a foot tap or at our lowest times, the flow of our tears and our grief.
The song talks about love, it talks about “making every second your last” or making every day count. But above all, it talks about leaving a brilliant light behind.
In recent times we’ve lost a couple of wonderful people in our family, but their brilliant lights live on. Their dance with life has ended, but we will pick up the rhythm and dance on.
I have Andrew Wiggans to thank for my getting to know this song. He won’t remember who I am, and he certainly won’t know why he deserves thanks. And now comes the confession that I learned this song, word for word, so that I could sing it along to the jukebox in the Block 10 Common Room when he was in the vicinity, in the hope that he would notice me (him being a fan of The Style Council and all).
Yes. This song may be an eloquent and vibrant protest song, but I learned it in the hope of impressing someone who I wanted to notice me. Facepalm. I did get one tiny moment when the plan came together – at a party when we sang it together at the tops of our voices on the dancefloor and I got about a 5-second acknowledgment of my existence (and even a grin).
Anyhow.
The music of Paul Weller, especially in the form of The Jam and The Style Council has accompanied me through the years and I have to say that it never seems to age. In fact, earlier this week I declared that The Style Council seems to be providing the soundtrack to life at the moment. A ‘Long Hot Summer’ followed by the ‘Walls Come Tumbling Down’ anyone?
There’s a real sense of uncertainty in the world at the moment. What will Putin do next? Will we ever try to really address climate change? What on earth is going on with our government? Do our churches really want to deal with declining numbers or just pretend it’s not happening?
It’s all very unsettling and it zaps us of energy. We can’t see a way forward, or everything feels stuck. We start to question ourselves and our purpose. We throw our hands in the air and shout ‘what the …?’ or we pray.
I was half in mind, I was half in need And as the rain came down, I dropped to my knees and I prayed I said, oh, heavenly thing, please cleanse my soul I’ve seen all on offer and I’m not impressed at all I was halfway home, I was half insane And every shop window I looked in just looked the same I said now send me a sign to save my life Cause at this moment in time there’s nothing certain In these days of mine
I guess there are two simple ways we can go when things get this way. We can do nothing. Or we can do something. As Andy Dufresne says in ‘The Shawshank Redemption’, “you can get busy living or get busy dying.” Even though the thought of it is exhausting, I choose to get busy living. And we have the words of Isaiah 1:17 as a guide – “…learn to live right. See that justice is done. Defend widows and orphans and help the oppressed.”
That when you’re knocked on your back and your life’s a flop And when you’re down on the bottom there’s nothing else but To shout to the top
Shout to the top so I’ve sent a postcard to someone in Russia wishing peace and love.
Shout to the top – I’ve become a member of WWF to join in their action around climate change.
Shout to the top – currently writing a letter to my Conservative MP to encourage them to be concerned about the country more than their party.
Shout to the top by supporting work and initiatives that build communities and disciples.
I wonder what you’ll shout to the top about?
The Style Council may be no longer but Paul Weller continues to challenge us with his work. Find out more at https://www.paulweller.com/news/
Okay. So if you completed the title of this post with any of the following, then we think you might have a Friday Fix up your sleeve that you haven’t shared with us yet.
Linda
love
the One
the perfect beat
trouble
fun
So don’t be shy – just jot down some thoughts on a song that says something to you and email it to Gill at thomasg@methodistchurch.org.uk.
I love the radio. I was brought up on it really, and there was always one in the bathroom or in the kitchen long before tellies got everywhere or the advent of the Bluetooth speaker!
On a recent family festival trip, I even campaigned for space in the v. tightly packed car, for my portable radio. I was, in fact, allowed to take it.
In recent days – travelling home from the cinema – it was the car radio that revealed this delight. New music that stops you in your tracks. (as it happens, it’s from a film soundtrack of something due to be released this Autumn and it may within itself be enough to prompt me to take a look.) It’s a voice, music and words combo that pulls you in.
The time
We had together
A time
When all things were better
All of those moments
May have gone too soon
They meant so much
There’s a lot of grief and loss around in my life at the moment and for many of us, over the last few years, that’s been a constant. Often you push on through and it is not until you get a chance to stop and properly look at what has happened to you and those around you, that you realise what you’re really missing. My experience is that it comes in waves and the weirdest or tiniest things set you off on a path of repeated grief and deep reflection.
I never knew
For only now
Can I truly see
How much that time with you
That time shaped me
So even though I was unaware
It can be someone who was dear to you but also someone who influenced you in your thinking or approach to life. An early advocate for you or a “single moment” influencer and their loss reveals how you were shaped by a person and your encounter with them. You may not have seen them for years, yet their influence remains strong.
The time
When all things were better
Will stay with me
For as long as I remember
So much I have done
Has withered away
But never these memories I cherish today
I think the memory is a wonderful thing, and even the little glimpses of those moments of joy, laughter and downright happiness can lift the soul. The shared working, the solidarity when the chips were down, the humour in the face of grave pain, the silly photo that speaks of a situation that comes back to you as clear as day, the very odd flash of something that happened. All to be cherished in recognition of something precious.
How could I have known
Just how strong they could be?
They changed my life
In ways I can’t believe
In those moments
We’ll stay forever
And so I thank you
For the time we had together
There is a deep sense of thanks that comes mixed in with all the other emotions. This is true of all things I guess. Death yes, but also divorce, estranged friendships, drifting relationships and brief encounters. They all build us into who we are. The precious snippets of time lead us to a new place and there is no embarrassment in holding onto them for their “forever value.”
I wonder then, in this moment, if all that was the kind of process that the early disciples had to draw on when writing about Jesus. Trying to articulate how he shaped them, the impact he had on them, the value of his wisdom, and the ongoing legacy of his teachings and spirit-filled existence. They could have kept quiet about him but instead, they used their precious time to galvanise a new group of followers that might keep his memory alive and connect us with God. What does that teach us today about ourselves and the value of story and memory, about times shared and those we wish we could relive?
Let’s be bold about who we are and who we value(d). Thankful for the time we had together.
It appears, certainly amongst my friends, that October is perhaps the most favourite month of the year for many people. In the northern hemisphere, it signals the transition from summer to autumn; in the southern hemisphere, the days are getting longer as the summer inches closer.
October is a month when we notice more about the world around us – the changing temperatures, the warmth of the sun, the leaves clothing the trees, misty mornings, cool rain, and petrichor – that confident smell of the earth.
It’s a month of significance – Black History Month, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, World Blindness Awareness Month and World Menopause Month. There are Thanksgiving Days in Canada, St Lucia and Grenada. 15 countries celebrate their Independence Day including Nigeria, Tuvalu, Cuba and Croatia. The UK & Ireland has National Poetry Day (6th October) and Sweden has National Cinnamon Roll Day (4th October) – evidence perhaps that it’s no coincidence that the country is consistently in the Top 10 of the world’s happiest countries.
For U2, ‘October’ is an image and an ominous word. According to lead singer, Bono, in an interview in 1982, it was a response to where they felt the western world was at in the early 80’s. He saw the 1960’s as a time when things had been in full bloom. There was plenty – modern conveniences, disposable income for many, space exploration, and so on. And then the ’70s and the ’80s hit and it felt like it was a time after the harvest, the trees were stripped bare and things become easier to see. Bono said ‘We’ve finally realized, maybe we weren’t so smart after all, now that there’s millions of unemployed people, now that we’ve used the technology that we’ve been blessed with to build bombs for war machines. October is an ominous word.’
October And the trees are stripped bare Of all they wear What do I care?
This atmospheric song with few lyrics encourages me to hang on in there. Seasons may change, and things may happen that frustrate, anger and cause despair, but God goes on through it all – with us. Things may get even colder and darker as winter looms ahead but there is hope that spring will come. That light and new life lie ahead – and that this time shall pass.
It’s not often that we humans embrace change very willingly, but October seems to buck that trend. It seems we run to embrace the cooler days and the overt change of the season. In 24 days’ time, it’s unlikely that there will be any signs of summer left and we (in the northern hemisphere) will be creeping into shorter days and longer nights. This month will hold our hand as we edge towards winter, letting go as it hands us over to darker, colder November. And the best thing of all is God is with us.
October And kingdoms rise And kingdoms fall But you go on and on
U2, as you are probably aware, are still making music. You can find out moreat https://www.u2.com/.
I guess it was about 20 years ago when I first ventured out to see Starsailor at ‘The Winding Wheel’ in Chesterfield. Friends who know me well will have heard me say that I was full of apprehension for two reasons. The first – what if there were only ‘three of us and a cat’ and no one else liked them AAAAggggghhhhhh! Second – what if they (that’s the 3 or the cat) didn’t know the stuff and stood like statues without getting involved or singing along. All my worrying was in vain and the gig was electric and packed with everyone really invested in the band, the album and every song offered to us. Phew!
In recent days, I’ve been to a 20th Anniversary Tour for that same album by that same band (it’s a Covid-delayed bit of a thing), and if anything it was the same experience in glorious technicolour with Leeds Student Union full of very middle-aged folk singing like a choir. For a couple of hours, nothing else mattered.
Christ, I’m out of my mind
I need to be loved
What a plea from the 500 assembled folk and one that resonates around the world for people in all aspects of their existence.
The reply though is equally impactful:
As I turn to you and I say
Thank goodness for the good souls
That make life better
There is a huge sense that there are the good folk around us that make life better – the smiley ones, the extra-mile people, the door-openers, the Big Issue buyers, the shopping neighbours, the lift-givers. The list is endless and we are thankful for those little bits of love expressed by these encounters.
As I turn to you and I say
If it wasn’t for the good souls
Life would not matter
But there’s more. There are also the people who you can cling to, lean on and rest a while with. Those that see you. Those that listen between the words. Those that mean life is still worth living when you feel it isn’t. Deep and gentle committed love for the other.
The scripture writers tell us that there are two great commandments – to love God and love your neighbour as yourself. If you can be a good soul today for anyone, remember you can make life better and make life matter. Give it a try if you can. You may be answering the deepest need and the heartfelt prayer of another.
I have hardly stopped singing (and dancing along to) this since I heard it. The uplifting beat of this song raises my spirits and makes me want to dance!
Jesca Hoop was brought up Mormon in America and has now settled in the UK.
She describes losing her family’s faith saying, “Now I feel free of it: I have faith in people”
We have all just been through a period of mourning for the Queen who many describe as the mother (or grandmother) of the nation. My own Mum died not long before the Queen, and all of this has set me thinking about what you ‘take in with your mother’s milk’.
For many of us in England much of what King Charles and his siblings took in from the Queen, through the cord almost, is also part of our communal history. The belief that we matter, that we are ‘rulers’, that we ‘know best’ and so on are (controversially perhaps) hard to get away from if we are born White and English.
“A fairy tale can tell no lie”
What, from our earliest days, is lie and what is truth?
How do we navigate the urge to become independent, while still being interdependent on so many other living things/people?
During these periods of mourning and remembrance, I have really valued thinking back through my earliest life and learning to value things I’d completely taken for granted. At the same time, I’ve valued the learning that I can let go, that nothing has to stay with me forever, that I will always have the upbringing I had but that it doesn’t need to be my whole future.
In an earlier stage of my life, there was a preacher who often said ‘I am coming more and more to believe…’ before he shared something that made us think.
The Friday Fix 