A Haitian Prayer

HAITIAN PRAYER

The desperate plunge from shadow into darkness,
The collapse of a proud nation to its core,
The cries of many orphaned and more hopeless,
Resounding like a wave from shore to shore.

Hardly one stone left upon another,
Terror unimagined sweeps the land,
The question begged again "Who is my neighbor?"
The one who hears the cry and lends a hand

We have our problems as yet unsolved
We still have dreams to dream and yet,
We have been blessed with an abundance,
That many take for granted and forget,
Even though we've walked through many valleys,
There are some who walk a valley deeper still,
And trapped within their night of degradation,
Long to see a light upon the hill.

We light a candle here, whisper a silent prayer,
That the Haitian people would know peace and freedom,
So light a candle here, whisper a silent prayer,
That the Haitian people would know peace and freedom,

Putting all our lives into perspective,
Witnessing the toll of tragedy,
Even strong men breaking down in sorrow,
Letting others see their frailty.

Huddling masses finding little comfort,
Stare into a bleak and hopeless future,
Praying that the powers of the first world
Release the better angels of their nature.

words and music Jonathan Patrick Moore 01/16/2010

The Blind Side hits you full force!

My wife and I crowded into our local theater with a varied crowd of Ole Miss faithful and probably a few Mississippi State alums as well to watch this much heralded film of the true life story of Michael Oher, now the starting left tackle for the Baltimore Ravens. His improbable rise to prominence comes as the result of the tenacious involvement of the Tuohys a very 'republican' rich white couple from Memphis who take a homeless "Big Mike" into their home, their hearts and their lives. Though the story tugs at the heart strings, it is not maudlin, rather it allows the natural spunk of Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) and the youthful energy of "S.J." (Jae Head) to act as a perfect counterpoint to Michael's rather subdued character played by Quinton Aaron. For me the most telling part of the movie was seeing how both Michael and Leigh Anne react to racial assumptions and choose to redefine the notion of family. I encourage you to catch this excellent film while it's still on the big screen.

I saw IT!

Well I paid my $7 and sat down to enjoy the movie....Simply put - I was riveted! The music sounded fresh and the dance moves were all there. Apparently Joe Jackson said there were body doubles!! I think he is the villain in this piece. There wasn't really too much of a hint of weird, just a fascinating look into the creative process and a taste of what might have been lauded as the greatest comeback ever. If the O2 concerts had gone ahead as planned - Michael would have returned to superstar status the same way Elvis did when he hit Vegas. Go see the film and be amazed at what this 50 year old man-child could do.

Why I want to see "This Is It"

I found out that "This Is It" the MJ documentary is playing at our local cineplex (sounds better than it really is!). I am eager to see the film - from what I have read, it helps to rehabilitate the image of a great, though flawed entertainer, who was ready and able to give the performance of his life for his fans and for his children. Sure Michael was unusual to the point of weird, but many creative souls are- it is part of what fascinates us about them. The music stands for itself. The iconic dance moves and poses are already legendary. What remains to be seen is if this final testament to genius is enough to assuage the lingering doubts about Michael's personal life and actions. That is why I want to see "This Is It!"

First Act - Intermission....

Real people with homes facing foreclosure and mounting credit card debt, lost wages and lay-offs, rising prices and diminishing paychecks - suffer. Meanwhile our politicians engage in a war of words; parsing and re-imagining, spinning and re-stating, denying and affirming, re-iterating and responding.
This in essence is the great divide - and the reason that nothing has been accomplished by this Congress and nothing will. We are fighting the wrong enemy (ourselves) and losing ground to the real foes of 'doubt' and 'fear'.
When there is a crisis of confidence you need a resurgence of the "Reagan" spirit that restored hope. President Obama evidently feels to hope might be a little audacious because he has done little else since inheriting the economy than lower expectations and revise projections. No wonder Sarah Palin has exited stage right...

Strangely moving

I watched the Michael Jackson Memorial Service live from Staples Center this afternoon, expecting it to be awkward and weird. However I found it strangely moving. Some parts were transcendent for me - for example Stevie Wonder singing "Never though you'd leave in summer." and John Mayer's surprisingly lyrical guitar playing on "Human Nature". Other moments seemed forced - Mariah Carey's "I'll Be There" and Rep Sheila Jackson's remarks bordered on grandstanding. On the other hand, Queen Latifah reading a Maya Angelou poem and Brooke Shields reminiscing were magical.
Then towards the end we were treated to Shaheen Jafargholi's version of "Who's loving You." that reminded those of us old enough to remember, what it was that drew us to the Jackson Five and to Michael in particular all those years ago - whether we were "Black or White"!!
Watching the family -reminded me that all of them are a little other-worldly, with Michael being a little more extreme than his siblings.
On the "fact check" monitor - it should be noted that Michael Jackson did not bring us LIVE AID , and "We are the World" wqs written as the response to Bob Geldof and Midge Ure's "Do they know it's Christmas?" which spawned the worldwide crusade against famine in the mid 1980's.

Do we have time for this?

I haven't posted in quite a while and I had to ask myself - do I really have time for this? We are living in uncertain times and quite honestly there are more important things to do than to muse on inconsequential subjects. Having said that - I would be loathe to give up this forum altogether. It is important that we continue to think, to dream and to formulate new ideas. We must never become merely functional, for that is a swift descent into a post Orwellian culture that will render us impotent in our call to challenge and transform. So I will not hit the delete button - not quite yet.

PENDRAGON - looks like a winner!

I just heard about this movie - it looks like it will be good. I am planning to order the DVD when funds allow. The story behind the production is fascinating - click on the title of this post to read it.

Pelosi in need of brain

That Nancy Pelosi ascended to the pinnacle of Speaker of the House is one of the conundrums of our day. Together with Senator Harry Reid, we seem to be beset with such overwhelming, mind-numbing imbecility at the top that it really makes President Obama look brilliant! (...Ahhhh! I've finally realized what's going on....) Nancy's latest stupidity was to suggest that lowering the birth rate through increased funding would somehow stimulate the economy, when in fact the creation of a new generation of consumers is just what our economy needs. But then again when you seem intent on creating an ever bigger nanny state and espousing a European model of socialism, then I can see how you might think that. After all we have made a large part of Europe despise us and now we have to worm our way back into their good graces....Why? for heaven's sake? The European community have no cohesive vision, at least not one rooted in reality. They are wallowing in a mess of their own making, all the while blaming America for the problem. Nancy Pelosi needs to emigrate to Italy and run for the European parliament - she will feel right at home in a decaying civilization!

MLK day

I took part in our annual Dr. Martin Luther King jr Prayer Breakfast this morning....rather more breakfast than prayer, I'm afraid.... Anyhow it ran the usual 3 hours but had a strong turnout and a good spirit. we have the parade this afternoon - I hope it won't be too cold...

Finally someone speaking up for George!

As President Bush prepares to leave office and slip quietly back to Texas, I pray this good man will not fade into the black hole of revisionist history. As Dr Walid Phares so clearly states:

So what’s the historical bottom line? George W. Bush told the American people that it is a terrorist target and the U.S. needs to take action. The challenge now is for his successor(s) to stay the course or change it. Bush’s national security decisions will certainly be scrutinized by politicians and historians in order to assess their value; but guess what? Americans are growing mature in this increasingly threatening environment. Deep down, a large segment of our society knows that the jihadists aren’t going to practice yoga. The future will clarify further the difference between America’s instincts as embodied by George W. Bush and many of his critics and bureaucrats who got stuck in the 1990s.

Hey America can you even spell VINDICATION?

The U.S. stands alone in tacit support of Israel

The U.N. Security Council approved a resolution Thursday night calling for an immediate and durable cease-fire between Hamas militants and Israeli forces in Gaza. The U.S. abstained from the 14-0 vote.

Once again the U.S, courageously led by George Bush, even in the face of disrespect levelled at him from all sides, continues to stand with Israel. The relentless barrage of hostile and biased press coverage from Europe and CNN, notwithstanding, my prayer is that Israel will continue to press its advantage over Hamas and not make the same mistake it made with Hezbollah.

101 things I didn't know last year...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/01/100_things_we_didnt_know_last.shtml
Is an excellent entertaining rundown of 100 things we didn't know last year but now, thanks to twists of fate, good research or serendipity, we do now!
On a more serious yet joyous note: the one thing I didn't know last year is that we would be officially adding to our family in 2009, a beautiful (now) 3 year old boy who has been part of our lives since birth, but, God willing, will officially become a "Moore" very soon.

Random thoughts

As we fast approach the ending of one year and the beginning of the new, I pause to reflect:
The Christmas story is one of God coming into a troubled, dark, and hostile world, and from a position of obscurity bringing salvation and hope to those forgotten and marginalized by circumstances. Light coming into darkness, breaking through the darkness, revealing things hidden, shameful wounds, secret sins - exposing them to heal and then restore.
These are difficult, some would say perilous times, economically, politically, spiritually... And at a time when the people of God need to be at their best, we have been beset with scandal, infidelities, financial mismanagement, apostasy, heresies and other junk!
Just a few days ago I was made aware of a situation close to home that broke my heart - it seems that the more we try to build accountability in the Body of Christ, the greater the battle to fracture and destroy our fellowship wages. There seems to be a disconnect between belief and practice, between public pronouncement and private conduct. There is an increasing tendency within the Body of Christ to espouse a grace that covers a multitude of sins but does not seek to uphold biblical standards of behavior and integrity. I pray that 2009 will bring a change and a return to 'Kingdom" thinking.

Christian Music in 2008

I am unashamedly, a born again christian. I write, play and sing christian music; but when I look back over the past year, I am hard pressed to recall one christian album that really registered on my radar as noteworthy. Leeland's sophomore effort was a disappointment. Delirious released what might be their final album to good reviews but painfully little marketplace exposure. I have found myself reverting to older albums in my collection and even replacing old vinyl and cassette copies with CD's. I guess what I'm trying to say is that there is precious little innovation in christian music today. When I perused some 'Best Of..' lists there was hardly a group that I would have crossed the street to check out. I know I'm an old fogey...but when did God's people become so dull and unadventurous? Quality music like IONA doesn't sell so their catalog is virtually impossible to obtain here in the States. I hardly listen to christian radio anymore because it's become unlistenable...mostly worship by numbers and non-descript love songs that sound like any artist could have sung them. While I enjoy Natalie Grant, Casting Crowns and Mercy Me - I find much of what I hear to be derivative and cliched.
Here's hoping for something better in 2009....

What a day!

I have to admit - that this Christmas day was not the highlight of the holiday for me.
I had been fighting off a cold for the past few days - well yesterday the flood gates opened and although I was able to cook a full turkey dinner for 5 adults and 5 children, I was miserable most of the time doing it. Added to that I managed to block the sink and waste disposal unit with potato peelings. Then after having taken the bird out of the oven, I managed to have the oven door come apart in my hands!
We sat down to eat and by all accounts the food was good and tasty - it was hard for me to tell. Shortly after lunch I took myself off to bed listening to my Christmas present - "The Cafe Carlyle Session" by Christopher Cross. When I awoke my wife and father-in-law had fixed the oven, unplugged the sink and even managed to secure the front door....
After watching "Rocky Balboa" (excellent movie!!) I had one more mishap to recount. I divested the bird of all its meat and put the carcass into a large saucepan and proceeded to boil some stock. Reaching for another saucepan, to move it, I was unaware that the handle had become blazing hot - you got it....I grabbed it and promptly burnt my hand. I spent the next hour babying my wound with copious amounts of aloe vera gel!!
I'm having a better day today - thank-you!

Obama making some courageous moves

Whether it was the decision to retain Robert Gates as Secretary of Defense or inviting Pastor Rick Warren to give the invocation at his Inauguration, Barack Obama has made some courageous moves to establish himself as everyone's President. While I may reserve judgement on some of his proposals - the fact that the extreme fury of the radical gay lobby has already been unleashed - has given me hope. That may appear a mite audacious to some......but TIME's man of the year has exceeded expectations his entire political career and he continues to make some shrewd moves.

No tears for O.J.

Though there were tears from O.J. Simpson, I doubt there were too many tears shed for him today, following his sentencing for his part in an armed robbery and kidnapping episode in Las Vegas. At the age of 61, a sentence of any length would be justified in the minds of many who felt that justice was denied all those years ago in the more famous and grisly first O.J. Simpson trial. What stood out about this particular incident was the crass stupidity of it all - it was as though O.J. was in some kind of altered reality that denied him the opportunity to see clearly. Good judgement has seemed to markedly absent from his life ever since he signed on for the Naked Gun franchise!! Well the good news is there will be no riots this time and possibly no more attempts to cash in on one of America's most bizarre obsessions by O.J. himself or by anyone else even remotely connected with him. Three hots and a cot....there's something to look forward to!

It's time to move on....

There has been enough lag time since the election....I think it's time to move on. Sarah Palin is back in Alaska so according to Tina Fey - she can keep an eye on Russia!
John McCain is presumably back in Arizona - or maybe at one of his houses....
the good news or bad news is that Hilary Clinton will win a consolation prize, that of Secretary of State.
Suffice to say, the world looks increasingly dangerous and America looks increasingly fragile.
That may be why I've spent the day messing around with my music collection on iTunes.

Barack or John not to your liking?

Hey if you're frustrated with the possible choices for President.... Barack - too liberal; John - too unpredictable or too old; Bob Barr- too conservative; Ralph Nader - too long-winded; Cynthia McKinney - too radical...do I have a choice for you!
Ted "Cat Scratch Fever" Nugent has an answer and pulls no punches, and I, for one am loath to argue with a gun toting shredder. He sounds like the ideal write-in candidate for the disaffected. He might scare the markets back into solvency. Just a thought.....