Life, Luck, Religion, and Music

Now, for something completely different: a few thoughts on luck, life, and religious themed music:

As you no doubt are aware if you know anything at all about me, I am not a religous person. Quite the opposite. Attending Catholic schools for 4 years made a pretty firm non-believer out of me. When things go wrong in my life, I admit, I will sometimes give in to the “why me? why do I deserve this” feeling. But at the end of the day, I truly believe that it’s all just random.

For example: I don’t think my windshield got broken by a rock while I was trying to do a good deed for an elderly person because I shoplifted when I was 12. I *used* to think that way, but then I got better.

I am more inclined to believe that if we had picked the dogs up from the kennel on time, we wouldn’t have been behind that truck. I then translate that into a lesson to myself about sticking to the plan and being on time more often.

When it comes down to it, I guess I have more good luck than bad, but when it’s bad, it’s really, really, really bad. Sometimes I have great luck for months on end. Other times I have terrible luck for days or even weeks on end. This is one of those times unfortunately. But this too, shall pass.

So, now I finally get to the music part. Music is a great and powerful tool for healing, and when I am feeling low, nothing cheers me up more than belting out the words to “I will survive” with Gloria Gaynor, wailing along to “Gray” by Ani Difranco, or compulsively watching Kermit the Frog sing about the Rainbow Connection. Just hearing the first few bars of Monty Python’s “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” is enough to make me start tapping my toes just a little bit. But those things don’t always work.

When I am feeling extra-super stressed out and unhappy, I often find myself drawn to music with religious themes. Why is that?

As long as I can remember, I pondered the fact that some of the people writing prayers and songs for the churches were surprisingly gifted poets. Some of it is quite inspired. When I am randomly singing while doing the dishes, in the shower, etc, I will sometimes break into Ave Maria or sing Cantate Domino or some other song from my youth, for no reason I can figure out.

I do enjoy it when someone sets my favorite prayers to song and does it well. Especially when that singer is already one of my favorites.

For example, Sarah McLachlan singing the Prayer of St. Francis. Take out certain key words, and you have a perfectly lovely song:

Lord make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
And where there is sadness, joy.
O divine master grant that I may
not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love
For it is in giving that we receive-
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned.
And it’s in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen

Another example: Hands, by Jewel

If I could tell the world just one thing
It would be that we’re all OK
And not to worry ’cause worry is wasteful
And useless in times like these
I won’t be made useless
I won’t be idle with despair
I will gather myself around my faith
For light does the darkness most fear
My hands are small, I know
But they’re not yours, they are my own
But they’re not yours, they are my own
And I am never broken
Poverty stole your golden shoes
It didn’t steal your laughter
And heartache came to visit me
But I knew it wasn’t ever after
We’ll fight, not out of spite
For someone must stand up for what’s right
‘Cause where there’s a man who has no voice
There ours shall go singing
My hands are small I know
But they’re not yours, they are my own
But they’re not yours, they are my own
I am never broken
In the end only kindness matters
In the end only kindness matters
I will get down on my knees, and I will pray
I will get down on my knees, and I will pray
I will get down on my knees, and I will pray
My hands are small I know
But they’re not yours, they are my own
But they’re not yours, they are my own
And I am never broken
My hands are small I know
But they’re not yours, they are my own
But they’re not yours, they are my own
And I am never broken
We are never broken
We are God’s eyes
God’s hands
God’s mind
We are God’s eyes
God’s hands
God’s heart
We are God’s eyes
God’s hands
God’s eyes
We are God’s hands
We are God’s hands