July 17, 2005 – Inspiration from a Strange Source, in the Key of G.
So, some of you may be wondering . . . where the Hell has Deborah been? Where is her next Rant? Has she suddenly gone over to the Dark Side and found Robert Novak to be the man of her political dreams? God no . . . someone get me a bag . . . Robert Novak . . . evil incarnate. . . Dick Cheney – evil incarnate . . . George Bush . . . Somebody’s r right hand man (he says God, I say . . . maybe someone else’s). No, I have not joined the evil empire. Instead, I have just been stymied by not knowing exactly what to say.
I have been in thoughtful mood these past weeks. And, what happens when these moods strike is that many things can get me going . . . so much so that I have gone nowhere. There is just so much to say, I could not figure out where to start. I could have gone and done a Patriotic Rant for the 4th, but I have already done that. I could have gone off on the Bush Administration for its assortments of sins and arrogance. Been there, done that. I could have urged Robert Novak to go to jail . . . well, that is still a good idea. I could have gone on and on about my disappointment with California politics, the weird weather we are having, Jon Stewart’s new set for the Daily Show, Supreme Court Shenanigans, or that I really enjoyed seeing the musical Wicked. See the problem . . . where to begin.
So, I have decided to begin with two simple phrases from two of my favorite musicals. These are phrases to live by, and when examined, are wise beyond their few words. Off topic for a second . . . I love musicals. They can take you away to places and moments that are long forgotten. I can listen to certain soundtracks over and over again. Sometimes I forget myself when listening, and just lose myself in the moment of the music. My two favorite musicals are Les Miserable and Rent. Both very different, but to me both have a common theme, celebrating life and living it, no matter the circumstances.
The first phrase comes from Les Miserable. It is simply this: “to love another person is to see the face of God.” A friend of mine had this phrase inscribed in his and his wife’s wedding ring. Just thinking this phrase can make me well up. Because, if we all just lived by the tenants, rather than the organized, structured divisive tenants of religion as we know it, the world would in fact be a better place. Us and Them would be replaced by “We” if we could focus on what love can do for us, rather than dwelling on that which makes us all different.
The second phrase comes from the Musical Rent. Many of you may not have seen Rent, but it blew my mind. My jaw dropped when the music started, and only closed once the house lights went up. I believe that Rent is the Hair of my generation, which explains why my mom did not like it. It didn’t speak to her. (I told her she would not like it, but does she listen . . .). Anyways, Rent is a modern take on La Boheme. During one of the signature numbers, the following phrase is uttered: “The opposite of war isn’t peace, it’s creation.” This too, makes me want to well up and just stops me in my tracks because of the utter truth it states, summarized so succinctly yet so accurately. Peace by itself is nothing but dead air. It is only when we use those gifts that make us human and humane do we really progress as a people. That is creation and creating
So, why is this Rant pulling two phrases out of Broadway Musicals and focusing on them, rather than Karl Rove (if he were in the Clinton Administration, all hell would have broken loose already), Sandra Day O’Connor resigning, bombings in London, more bombings in Iraq, or any other gifts of outraged indignation made available by the nightly news? Why? Because I can. Because for a moment, I want to think of what can be, rather than what is. Because I want to not let this world around me suffocate the hope and dreams that make it possible for tomorrow to be better that today. Because we have to find a way to create beauty and joy so that we can continue to evolve as a species. Because, I really feel we are risking permanent devolution if we continue down the path we are on. Because I want to remind people that to love another person is to see the face of God, and that the opposite of war isn’t peace, but creation. And trust me, we need reminding.
I saw a show called “Stuff Happens” with my mom and some of her friends. To summarize, the show takes the words of the political players involved in the build up to war in Iraq, and shows, with their own statements, how we were misled us into war. It shows a government that under my definition of God, is Godless, and under my definition of peace is always at war. It made me very sad, and a little queasy. Because that is my government acting in ways that shame me, embarrass me, sadden me. It is not worth a separate rant because it is old news: we are run by a bunch of wealthy men who use the lives and livelihood of men and women like monopoly money. They are armchair warriors who were more than happy to defer serving their country during Vietnam, but are all too happy to send others off to fight and die for their theories. They act without any real conscious, without any consequences for their choices or mistakes, and with an arrogance that is astounding. I cannot believe that they truly love their fellow man, for if they did, they would not destroy so willingly. They do not want peace because I do not see them trying to create anything other than influence and power.
I left the play last Sunday and thought to myself life lessons that these men and women have either failed to learned, or intentionally forgotten. Or, maybe they never saw Les Miserable and Rent: “To love another person is to see the face of God”. . . “The opposite of war isn’t peace, it’s creation”. . . And, for good measure, “Do onto others as you would have them do onto you.” This Administration is a poor student of history, of life, of faith, and has never either been taught, or bothered to learn these simple life lessons. And, we are all paying for their ignorance. They claim they are on a path of moral righteousness and certainty. Bah.
I firmly believe that as a non-practicing Jew, I am far more “Christian” than many who claim to be, many who now claim to be leading our war on terror, many who would exclude rather than include, limit rather than permit, and hoard rather than share. I would call them hypocrites, and tell them to practice what they preach, but the truth is, they are. What they preach is hate, divisiveness, darkness, and despair. If you ask me, it sounds far more like something Lucifer would promote than Jesus. But what do I know. I’m just some non-practicing Jew with a web log and an affinity for Broadway Musicals. If only some of those in power would open their ears and listen. . .