"Good Samaritan"
As of 1/15/14, a new remix: http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/19775158
http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/18204444
Mike has written a superb song with a message about as central to the Good News as there is, the Commandment to love our neighbor as presented in the Parable of the Good Samaritan. It reminds me of the entire show we used to do, in support of Covenant House, about the Prodigal Daughter. (Notice that it is a Commandment, not a suggestion to love our neighbor; if we don't live this, we CANNOT know happiness with the God who is Love. Providentially, God provides all the grace we need to do this if we choose to respond to it!)
Musically, I think this song is genius. It reminds me of the synagogue cantor with a raucous touch of the blues; it is the roots of the great Gershwin & Berlin on the Broadway stage, set to rock - a perfect fit for the tone and theme. I think Greg's guitar sounds like Queen at the end. Love the scratchy vinyl intro and that's Josh Loell on the horn, by the way. It's a fantastic arrangement all the way.
When I played the song for Julia, she was doing a prayerful study of the Confiteor prayer, focusing on the phrase "what I have done, and what I have failed to do". The theme of what she was reading was that it is not good enough to merely avoid sin; we must 'clothe ourselves' with the virtues of Christ, especially charity which binds all of them together. Listen to this song, and then read this prayer: the timing was perfect for her, wasn't it? She just couldn't get over that! [There is a reference in the Didache in 97 AD about saying such a prayer at the beginning of Eucharist, by the way. As the letter of James advises, it is a very good thing to confess our failures to each other, especially failures of charity.]
"Mea maxima culpa...." Coincidentally, at this same time, a friend posted an awesome story on Facebook about a new pastor who disguised himself as a homeless man and presented himself to his new congregation. Guess what? no one greeted or smiled at him, they acted embarrassed and he was told to go out back! When the new pastor was presented? it was the man they had ignored and rejected! Fantastic lesson there, wouldn't you say? Here is the link to the story:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Christianity/26433931934 and go to the entry for July 23.
Listen to this song! Let it urge us all on together to show the most beautiful Thing there is - Caritas, agape!
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