It’s quiet, I can hear the birds singing, the wind blowing through the trees; something has happened and I am alert in the quietness. It’s called self-isolation!
What is happening, I’m out in my car travelling to Cambridge, as I pass Tesco’s the car park is full to overflowing, later driving past Waitrose the car park is overflowing, today it’s Iceland’s and Asda’s, car parks are full to overflowing: you get the drift… !
I wandered through the desolation of the supermarket and all I could see was haunted faces, anxiety written large. From within the silence a monster had appeared and its name was fear and riding on the shoulders of fear was greed!
The best and the worst are currently on display. We don’t blame each other for the Coronavirus, but it has triggered an epidemic of greed. Bare and empty shelves, never enough to fill the larder; more, more, give me more, The film Oliver, small boy still very hungry goes to the serving table and asks for more … ‘Please sir, I would like some more.’ ‘MORE, MORE…’ Outrage at the request; how dare someone ask for more! Greed knows no bounds; it is triggered by human appetites that belong to the earthly world.
There is a heavenly world that we can belong to. Where the word feeds us the bread of life, where there are rivers of life, where the leaves of the trees are for the healing of the nations, and where the cry for more goes up to a Father God. And why, because he teaches us to say; ‘Give us today our daily bread’; food for life, food for living, we can ask each day because our Lord taught us to ask. There will be no accusation of greed, no fear, no indignation asking for more. We have been liberated, and liberation allows us to look into overflowing car parks with sadness; and also with joy knowing that Jesus takes bread and multiples it to feed all who stand before him.
“Our Father who art in heaven hallowed is your name …. Forgive us our sins… and lead us not into temptation.”
“Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and Shalom kiss each other.” Psalm 85:10
Maybe this song is all about hope and kingdom values and longing… and fun.
The Big Rock Candy Mountain
One evening as the sun went down
And the jungle fire was burning,
Down the track came a hobo hiking,
And he said, “Boys, I’m not turning
I’m headed for a land that’s far away
Besides the crystal fountains
So come with me, we’ll go and see
The Big Rock Candy Mountains
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains,
There’s a land that’s fair and bright,
Where the handouts grow on bushes
And you sleep out every night
Where the boxcars all are empty
And the sun shines every day
On the birds and the bees
And the cigarette trees
The lemonade springs
Where the bluebird sings
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains
All the cops have wooden legs
And the bulldogs all have rubber teeth
And the hens lay soft-boiled eggs
The farmers’ trees are full of fruit
And the barns are full of hay
Oh I’m bound to go
Where there ain’t no snow
Where the rain don’t fall
The wind don’t blow
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains
You never change your socks
And the little streams of alcohol
Come trickling down the rocks
The brakemen have to tip their hats
And the railroad bulls are blind
There’s a lake of stew
And of whiskey, too
You can paddle all around ’em
In a big canoe
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains,
The jails are made of tin
And you can walk right out again,
As soon as you are in
There ain’t no short-handled shovels,
No axes, saws or picks,
I’ma goin’ to stay
Where you sleep all day,
Where they hung the Turk
That invented work
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains
I’ll see you all this coming Fall
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains”
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Harry Mcclintock / Sterling Sherwin
Big Rock Candy Mountain lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Photo by Pietro De Grandi on Unsplash
