Why Not Just Sit Down With One Another?

Whether or not one wants to admit it, religion has been involved in much of the world’s wars and bloodshed through the millennia.  To be fair, the leadership of certain belief systems have often sought for personal power in their fervor, or they considered another groups’ theology to be evil or heretical and have incited their believers to take up arms to assert their beliefs.  Regardless, history is littered with corpses of religious men and women. 

As examples, the Crusades was an effort by the Christians to drive the Muslims out of Jerusalem and other lands.  The Spanish Inquisition saw the Catholic Church put believers of Islam and Judaism on trail to be executed.  In the early days of the Reformation in Europe, Catholics killed or burned at the stake hundreds of thousands who wanted that reformation.  I am keenly aware of the persecution and murders of believers of my Church’s doctrines in the 19^th Century by those who felt threatened by our presence in their lands.  The worldwide terrorism in the 21^st Century has theological underpinnings---between militant Islam and Jews and Christians.

The inability of people of different faiths to sit down with one another to discuss shared beliefs and experiences has been very frustrating to me.  As people of faith, we seem unable to make a transition from fear and suspicion to shared humanity and peace.  I don't know that such a transition can take place on a global scale, although I am proud to say that my Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, really makes an effort to reach out to other religions to establish commonalities, especially in shared humanitarian efforts.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

I want to share an experience that I had recently with some friends of another faith.  My wife and I are Christian and the other couple are Muslim.  She and my wife got to know one another and became friends while attending graduate school together to obtain Master’s Degrees in Mathematics.  The four of us have spent time together in each others’ homes, sharing our lives, eating food, and talking about the commonalities of our different faith systems in an effort to increase our understanding.  But in my estimation, our recent visit to their home took our relationship to a whole new level.

Our friends have two adult children, a daughter and a son.  They have loved both of their children but as they talked about their son that day, they talked about him in almost reverential tones because of how seriously he has taken their religion and its beliefs.  They reported that he always has wanted to do what was good, and would study the Quran to understand its teachings in order to be a better Muslim, even waking up at 5:00 am to study it of his own free will. They talked about how sensitive he has been toward them, toward his sister, and toward anybody around him.  Sadly, the son was involved in a serious automobile accident toward the end of 2010 and was hospitalized for three months.  Unexpectedly, the son then contracted pneumonia and soon thereafter passed away, at the too young age of 20.

We have shared our grief and pain with them through the years about our son who has been addicted to drugs for much of his life.  We have talked about our frustrations, our parenting errors, our discouragement and sadness, and during our discussion that day, how we have come to learn to turn him and his life over to God.   As I sat listening to our friends discuss their grieving process over the loss of their son, I was struck by the commonality of emotions that parents feel over their children.  I was also struck by the thought of how this life is a great laboratory established by a loving God to help Christians, Muslims, and all of His children to learn what we need to learn and experience what we need to experience.   

I shared my tender feelings with them about how I believed there was purpose for them, our friends, and for us, to have these sons.  They shared with us their heartache and sadness, but also shared their faith in a life after this life, free of pain and suffering.  We shared our faith in a post-mortal existence as well.  His mom even shared with us how a few hours before he died, he apologized to her.  Based upon a previous conversation she had with him , her belief was that he had been given a choice as to whether to live or not, and that he had chosen to move on to the next world.  Upon hearing that, I felt a spiritual witness that what she had just recounted was exactly what had happened, and I felt very close to her. 

I didn’t matter in these moments of shared pain and grief that our theologies were quite different.  It didn’t matter that our concepts of deity are different and that our belief systems dictate different ways to worship.  It didn’t matter that they are from Iran and we are from the United States.  It didn’t matter that they eat halal food and that we don’t drink coffee or tea.  It didn’t matter that she wears a scarf on her head and my wife doesn’t.  None of those differences mattered!  We have been and were united in spirit in those wonderful moments together because we were willing to be vulnerable and open with one another.  I felt that we shared an incredibly intense, spiritual experience even though we supposedly were so different.  I love these two people with all of my heart and I pray to my God who I know is their God also, to give them strength and understanding as they deal with their heavy burden.  As we departed, they expressed their love and appreciation for us and we for them.  I only wish that believers of all religions would allow themselves to be secure yet vulnerable in their beliefs and to just sit down with one another.

ROLL DOWN THE WINDOWS

As promised, I am listing my favorite 40 Heavy Metal-type songs, in complete contrast to my previous listing of my favorite 40 Classical Music selections.  These songs are meant to be played loudly with the car windows down, or nobody else at home and those home windows rattling.  Most but not all have driving beats with "in your face" guitar licks. Some Heavy Metal bands are absent such as Metallica or AC DC; I simply don't care for their music.  What I like, I really like, such as Led Zeppelin, Van Halen and Rush.  Main stream?  Yes, I'll grant that. I particularly like the Canadian group Rush because of the interesting, musically challenging things they do with their music, such as the use of odd time signatures and lyrics about subjects other than falling in love.  Just give me Rush's Alex Lifeson on terrific lead guitar, the best drummer (my opinion) in the world presently, Neil Peart, playing the relentless skins, and the quirky sounding singer and bassist, Geddy Lee, and it's time to roll down the windows and Katy bar the door.  Check out two great videos below the list: one from the "old men" of the Who (in their 60's) in an unbelieveable 2001 NYC benefit concert, and Rush, many, many years ago performing my #1 song.   

Yes, I do have eclectic tastes.  Yes, it depends on what mood I am in.... So here is my 40 favorite Roll Down the Window songs!  I wonder how old I have to get before I transition and stop listening to this stuff?  Who knows?  Maybe never.  In the coming months, I will do the near impossible feat of listing my favorite 40 Rock songs.

40.   Plush---Stone Temple Pilots   I really like STP.  This song is one of my favorites of theirs.   Go Scott Weiland! Stay out of jail, please.
39.   Cars---Gary Numan  Years ago, I blew out a set of speakers listening to this “one-hit wonder,” electronic song with an underlying, driving (no pun intended) beat.
38.  Crazy Train—Ozzy Osbourne   A crazy man singing a hard driving, crazy song about riding off the wheels on a crazy train.
37.   Who Do You Love—George Thorogood & The Destroyers   I had to include one by George.  It’s fun to let myself go and belt out “who do you luuuuuuuuuuv?”.
36.  Need You Tonight---INXS   I’m not a big fan of this group but I like a couple of their songs. This is a tune from my disc jockeying days.  You’re my kind…. (That’s a sixth interval for "you're my..." from the song's last line--for singers out there.)
35.  Black Hole Sun---Soundgarden   This song has a slow beat, but when the chorus comes, watch out!  This is my favorite song to sing along to with Rock Band.  “Won’t you come, won’t you come….?”
34.  Wanted Dead or Alive---Jon Bon Jovi   I remember hearing this song for the first time with my daughter Rebecca.  I’ve been a fan ever since. Another song to belt out in the car.
33.  Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting—Elton John   A high energy song from Elton that was covered, ironically, by the BYU Marching Band in my university days when dinosaurs roamed the world.
32.  No One Knows—Queens of the Stone Age   I was turned on to the Queens by Rebecca as well.  I did an air guitar rendition of this song at a talent show and blew the surprised twenty-something kids away.
31.  Misty Mountain Hop---Led Zeppelin  This is the first of many appearances on my list by Jimmy Page and the boys. This song by Led Zeppelin epitomizes the roll-down-the-window sound.
30.  Dirty Laundry---Don Henley   A great song with mechanical sounding back-up singers who like to “kick ‘em when they’re up, kick ‘em when they’re down.”
29.  The Stroke—Billy Squier   This is a relentless, driving, grinding, hard beat song.  How many roll down the window songs contain a riff from an opera?
28.  Purple Haze---Jimi Hendrix   Of all the great guitarists that play on my list, Jimi is the best.  “‘Scuse me while I kiss the sky!”
27.  Voodoo Chile---Stevie Ray Vaughan   The white "Jimi" covering a Jimi song.  Jimi’s version is more raw; Stevie Ray’s is more polished and full.
26.  Sharp Dressed Man---ZZ Top   What a great sounding song with their typical relentless beat!  The subject is kind of out there, but I guess “every girl’s crazy ‘bout a sharp dressed man."
25.  Smells Like Teen Spirit---Nirvana   I always turn up the volume on this song that influences music even today in 2011, even though you can’t understand many of the lyrics.  Weird Al’s cover makes fun of the lyrics and is fun to listen to.
24.  Theme from Shaft---Isaac Hayes   No guitar in sight, just a drumstick on a cymbal to set the “cool.”  Turn up the volume, you “bad muhtha ….”   Another song played interestingly enough by the BYU Marching Band at games back in 1973.
23.  What You Need---INXS   A great song with a hard driving back beat.  I love to turn up the volume whenever this comes on the radio.
22.  Simply Irresistible---Robert Palmer   He died way too early.  What were those mechanical sounds, anyway?
21.  Everybody’s Got Something to Hide---The Beatles   I didn’t want to use Helter Skelter.  This gem with bizarre lyrics is from the White Album and has bass notes from newly married Paul’s guitar that will rattle any set of speakers.
20.  The Star Spangled Banner---Jimi Hendrix   This cover of the National Anthem at Woodstock is so raw, so over the top.  It’s just pure Jimi and his upside down, restrung, Stratocaster, blowing minds (of course, the kids' minds were blown already.)
19.  The Immigrant Song---Led Zeppelin    You want a driving beat?  Jack Black had it right when he used this song in the movie “School of Rock.”
18.  Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me---U2  The song from one of the Batman movies doesn’t have a driving beat but was definitely made to be played loudly.
17.  Free Will---Rush   This is the first appearance for my favorite Roll Down the Window band.  This subject matter of the song’s lyrics is not standard rock music fare.  “I will choose free will!”
16.  Bohemian Rhapsody---Queen   Starts out slowly and ends slowly, but this crazy tune is so well known and it’s great fun to sing along to.  Don’t hurt your neck, though. 
15.  Eruption---Van Halen   Cranking up this instrumental tune is dangerous for speakers and windows.  Listen to Eddie use his “tapping” technique that involves tapping the strings of the fingerboard or neck of the guitar.
14.  Pinball Wizard---The Who  Another great song from long ago that is great to sing along with.  “That deaf, dumb and blind kid sure plays a mean pinball!”
13.  Frankenstein---The Edgar Winter Group   A high powered marriage of guitar and electronic music, especially near the end where it’s all spacey, electronic sounds.
12.  Mach 5---Presidents of the United States   There are a number of POTUS songs that I could have included.  This piece is my favorite. Their music is playful and often hard driving, and the subject matter crazy.  Opposable thumbs?  Peaches?
11.  Unchained---Van Halen   This is the favorite VH song of many people. It has all of the ingredients to qualify for a quintessential Roll Down the Window tune.  Happy Birthday to David Lee Roth today (he's exactly my age!)
10.  Whip It---Devo   This song was performed at a church karaoke party by all six Davises!  I guess it is our family song…which is an interesting commentary on our family.  Rap along with this rap from the upside down flower pots.
9.  Rock and Roll---Led Zeppelin   I really like the relentlessly driving sound of this song.  It’s old school rock and roll with a heavy metal twist.
8.  Rock This Town---Stray Cats   This is just a fun song to both listen, sing, and, yes, to swing dance to (which I do.)  This tune makes me want to get out on the dance floor and swing Ann around.
7.   Vaseline----Stone Temple Pilots   Scott Weiland and the boys served up a modern classic that grinds and drives.  This song was definitely made to be played loudly.
6.  Won’t Get Fooled Again---The Who   This song is a standard, a classic.  Roger Daltry’s primal scream near the end is the best.  This song exudes energy and sheer power.
5.  Panama----Van Halen   The main reason for this song being this high on my list is the F Sharp (the top of this Bass II's range) that David Lee sings throughout the song which I try to match as I sing along. "Paaanama…".
4.  La Grange---ZZ Top   “They’ve got a lot of nice girls” at La Grange.  If you want driving, in-your-face music, this is your tune by the bearded boys from a small town in Texas.
3.  Me Wise Magic---Van Halen   This is probably a surprising choice for people who roll down windows, but I really enjoy David Lee’s lower voice register backed up by a relentless rumbling guitar supporting him.
2.  The Spirit of Radio---Rush   What I love about Rush is their musicality.  They’re not afraid to play different genres, mix time signatures, and in general, challenge me musically.  This song displays their talent.
1.  Tom Sawyer---Rush   My very favorite song from my favorite Roll Down the Window group. My volume is always cranked up for this piece, played often in a 7/4 time signature—7 beats to the measure. Neil Peart's drumming in incredible.

GRATITUDE

In a previous post, I wrote about my transitional journey to more fully embrace the idea of grace.  It is a gift freely given which I partake of each day.  I now wish to write about another idea that likewise fills my heart with joy and happiness: gratitude.

GRATITUDE:  a feeling that comes as recognition of one’s blessed state.  Not necessarily a definition from Daniel Webster, but it is how I define it.  It is a concept—a character trait that I have been familiar with and that God bestowed upon me at an early age.  Perhaps it has to do with the tender heart that God gave me.  Perhaps it has to do with not having great wealth either in my childhood or as an adult.  Perhaps it has to do with observing the poverty of the world, or even those around whom I have worked or lived by.  Perhaps it has to do with seeing people with poor health while I have had very good health.  Perhaps it has to do with living abroad and keeping informed of the legion problems in other countries.  Whatever the reasons, God has helped me to observe the world around me, and I recognize and am amazed by my good fortune.

 I have a nephew whom I greatly admire and who has helped me (unknowingly) to realize just how blessed I am.   He has a birth defect which precludes him from taking his arms, palms down, and rotating them so his palms face up.  For his part, he has taken this misfortune as a challenge and has learned how to play the piano (palms down, obviously), play the trombone (palms facing one another—but no further rotation), and play lacrosse (again, palms facing one another).  I’m sure that he has learned to do other tasks of which I am not aware in spite of his disability.  I really admire his grit and dedication, not allowing this lemon to sour his life.  He will be a success at whatever he puts his mind to do. 

Because of his disability, I no longer take for granted my ability to rotate my palms.  In fact, my realization that not everyone can rotate their arms has helped me to recognize that there are many, many health issues that I take for granted.  Each day when I pray or meditate on my life, I will rotate my palms—something my nephew can’t do—to express my gratitude to God for all of the physical blessings, thought of or taken for granted, that I have been given. 

In a recent post, Sensing the Past, I wrote about my senses.  I learned at a very young age that not everyone possesses all of the five senses.  Perhaps because I started wearing glasses at age 5 and was told that a sharp blow to the head could detach my retinas, rendering me blind, I have never assumed that I would be able to see indefinitely.  Sometimes, I will methodically go through a ritual of “sensing” all five of my senses to express gratitude for them.  My hearing and my music is one of the most important senses I cherish.

I also look at my wife, my kids, my extended family, my sound mind, my senses, my knowledge of important truths, my friends, my mentors, my country, my employment, my privilege, my talents, my upbringing, indeed, my life, and I feel compelled to express profound gratitude each day for it all.       

Have Three Smiles On Me :) :) :)

I like to smile.  I love the smiles and laughter of children.  I have a couple of short You Tube videos of kids that I want to share that have been downloaded literally hundreds of millions of times.  If you've seen them before, take a couple of minutes out of your day anyway; you deserve it.  The last one is a video of my granddaughter Elizabeth.  She just turned 3 so this is a little outdated, but hey, it makes me smile, especially the little surprise at the end.