Why Porter Ain't Here

Whether it's a local physician, educational leader, political figure, or religious guard, "what happens socially when leaders lose their bearing?"

Lyrics: Jeff Kreh

He was a doctor who liked to drink too much coffee

among other things, he also liked his bourbon and beer

didn't mind performing surgery while intoxicated

which was fine 'til someone died and he got twenty years

That's why Porter ain't here

That's why Porter ain't here

That's why Porter ain't here

Anymore

Another doctor 'round the same time with that small Southern-town logic

rallied with his brothers, grabbed the white sheets and headed for the sticks

burned the very symbol of the god he worshiped every Sunday

and I heard that he got sick

yeah, I heard God made him very sick

Chorus

There was another many years ago with no such problems

did His job in ways for free, Science just still can't explain

but around the time these Porters were performing their injustice

they took this guy out of schools

and since then it's been insane

Chorus

Nothing Again

Begins from the beginning of my spiritually aware journey, wondering, "if nothing comes from nothing, how can this existence just turn into nothing at the end?"

Lyrics: Jeff Kreh

When I was six or seven

I learned to play with Plato

read all those stories and looked deep in the mine

Then older, maybe many

many “olders” later

I turned around to leave, surprised at what I could not find

And I, who once believed in nothing

tried to comprehend

all this melting down

into sum nothing again

When I look on my TV

it's not the way life should be

it's not the mother who feels like she'd like to lose her child

It's wild and over-happy

but not the kind that's sappy

it's real, oh so real

it's real, oh so real

Chorus

So I sit all contemplative

if real then why the waiting

why not just come and show us right where you are

Look around at all this sorrow

no childhood joy to borrow

dressed up and messed up and crawling cross the floor

Chorus

Under the Sun (Ecc. iv.1-2)

Look through the Preacher's glasses to ask, "why is it 'okay' that there are oppressed children in this world who have no one to comfort them?"

Lyrics: King Solomon (adapted from the ESV)



Again I saw
all
the oppressions
done
under the sun

And behold
the tears
of the oppressed

Little children have
no one
no one
no one to comfort them

Song Titles (a teaser)

I mentioned in my last post that I was rediscovering Bob Marley and the Wailers for the first time again... The saturation certainly worked to help out with a new song! "Under the Sun" is too quirky-cool to be anything but the first cut. Instead of go on and on about how fun it is to take the "Paul McCartney Approach" of pretending to be another person and then try to write in their style, I'll launch into the track list and offer a brief question that the lyrics raise in my mind:

1. Under the Sun (Ecc. iv.1-2): a look through the Preacher's glasses to ask, "why is it 'okay' that there are oppressed children in this world who have no one to comfort them?"
2. Nothing Again: begins from the beginning of my spiritually aware journey, wondering, "if nothing comes from nothing, how can this existence just turn into nothing at the end?"
3. Why Porter Ain't Here: whether it's a local physician, educational leader, political figure, or religious guard, "what happens socially when leaders lose their bearing?"
4. Ishmael: holding my 4-month old son the day the towers came down, I couldn't help but ponder, "just how far back is our present geopolitical upheaval rooted?"
5. Hear: in marriage, as with any other relationship, when we can no longer agree to get along, "how can we begin to be 'we' again?"
6. To Any Looking In: it's a bit arrogant to assume the world notices religious efforts, so to be fair, "if (not when) the world thinks 'church', what does it see?"
7. I See You: "what does Jesus look like from our time/space distance to one who desperately wants to believe?"
8. Remote Control: when those in charge just keep holding their hands on either side of your face, forcing you to look into their eyes, and continually repeat, 'everything's fine, it's all okay, everything's fine...relax, trust me...' despite your most rational protest, "what then??"
9. Anymore: in a consumer-driven society oblivious to being played for profit, "how much is enough? What is enough?"
10. Lift the Veil (2 Cor 3): "if I'm spiritually blind to what I'm spiritually blind to, then how can I ever hope to see without a little help from a sight-enabling friend?"
11. Born to Die: I believe He was 'Born to Die', soooo, "why keep that story silent?"
12. My Beloved and Me: "what does sharing the story of eternal love look like in 21st century culture?"
13. The Land of Endless Day: an invitation which simply asks, "why in the world would you wait when the world offers nothing at all?"

I'll be posting the lyrics to these songs very shortly (and the final order is far from settled...). Please make comments to those which somehow connect with you and do me the honor of letting me know how or why. Also, be critical!! Lacking omniscience, I can use all the perspective you have to offer...

My hope is that "least" will help people who question the "right" answers they've been handed through life as they keep looking for The Answer. Thanks for participating.

-jdk