I missed my generation

I’ve said it for years … I was born too late. The music, the era I identify with was in its prime while I was just toddling. A time of turmoil, of questions, of protest. Appeasing, adapting, acquiring seems to have replaced standing for conviction, whether right or wrong. Where have all the radicals gone?

Last night, I took myself on a date to see Across the Universe. That I would see it was not in question. The songs of The Beatles were my lullabies. I don’t know why I think that. My mother didn’t listen to them but my older brothers did. It’s the first music I remember hearing, the first songs I learned to sing. They literally became my children’s cradle songs.

The movie was interesting, not great but enjoyable. I liked the way the songs were woven into the story so appropriately. It did feel a little hokey at times but the songs are some of the best ever written and they were performed so well that the transcendence of the music was illuminated beautifully.

When Revolution was sung by the lead character, challenging the war protesters, one line jumped out at me. Here are the lyrics:

You say you want a revolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
You tell me that it’s evolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
But when you talk about destruction
Don’t you know that you can count me out
Don’t you know it’s gonna be all right
all right, all right

You say you got a real solution
Well, you know
We’d all love to see the plan
You ask me for a contribution
Well, you know
We’re doing what we can
But when you want money
for people with minds that hate
All I can tell is brother you have to wait
Don’t you know it’s gonna be all right
all right, all right
Ah

ah, ah, ah, ah, ah…

You say you’ll change the constitution
Well, you know
We all want to change your head
You tell me it’s the institution
Well, you know
You better free you mind instead
But if you go carrying pictures of chairman Mao
You ain’t going to make it with anyone anyhow
Don’t you know it’s gonna be all right
all right, all right
all right, all right, all right
all right, all right, all right

“You tell me it’s the institution, well you know, you better free your mind instead.”

It grabbed me and I wrestled with it the remainder of the evening. All this talk about the oppression, suppression, depression of the church institution. I agree; I understand; I get it! But, isn’t it true that we have to free our minds from that captivity? If not, we just take it with us, out of the institution and it contaminates what we are doing! In fact, we create our own institution out of the institution. That’s what I had to come to realize about myself. Like I wrote in my WWJDWTC post, in taking God out of the “institution” box, I was guilty of just creating another box, another set of rules for relationship, another institution.

I don’t know if any of this speaks to anyone else. More than anything, my posts are just me processing my own life. Thanks to all who read here, who encourage me, who share my journey.

Here’s a little Revolution for you before you go:

Trying to change my mind . . .

Related Tags: beatles, across the universe, revolution

~ by Cynthia on October 24, 2007.