And This Is Love...

    So often we forget that the Gospel's foundation is relationship. Even if we understand that fact, we go about our relating in such a righteous manner that the entire purpose of interaction is lost. 

     The foundation to relationship is understanding and accepting the other person. When you make friends, you do not brush people off, telling them to come back to you once they attain perfection. Instead, you interact with them at their level; knowing them is your highest goal. Only once you have relational trust  can you begin to work through the personal flaws, yours especially.
   
     We cannot continue to disown souls merely because they fail to agree with us.
   
     We need to realize that friendship is not an endorsement of that person's mistakes [nor is their friendship a conciliation to your shortcomings either], but it is instead the first step in beginning to pour out love upon someone. Love is patient, love is kind, love keeps no record of wrongs.

     When we throw out the cliché that Christ was "counter-culture," and so we must be the same, I believe we forget what culture he was counter to. Christ did not come to be religiously conceited, joining the religious leaders in their holy, pontificating disapproval, shunning  the lowlifes who pursued their own lifestyles. It was these lowlifes that Christ made his friends and eventually followers and closest disciples.  Never once did he endorse their mistakes nor approve of their misguided living, yet he stoutly defended them from the religious and social furor so often directed at "the sinners." What an example of love we  miss in the actions of Christ! In the end, it was nothing he ordered them to do or convicted them of that persuaded them of his offered salvation - it was instead his constant service and willingness to sacrifice that brought them to his side. No man hath greater love than this that he lay down his life for his friends.

     His friends were the least of these.

     So what am I driving at? My question is, why we are more likely to invite someone from a bar to church than to let an open homosexual in at the door? Where do we derive the right to befriend or maintain fellowship with someone who cheated on their spouse or involved with pornography, yet deny a gay or lesbian any semblance of relationship?  What have we done to attempt to find common ground with those whom with we disagree? Or have we forgotten that  those faces belong to people too?

     We seem to have this notion that loving a person requires overlooking their wrong. And so, homosexuality and other sins remain unlovable because they appear so offensive. But loving a person is more than ignoring their flaws; it is accepting a person despite them. If we are to even approach culture, we must live with this sort of love.

     We cannot hope to persuade the world otherwise unless the world trusts us first. As it stands, the Church is not seen as trustworthy. Instead, it is viewed as a homophobic, anti-progressive, conservative base rife with stereotypes and fried chicken. Is this what is true? Yes, we differ from popular opinion and disagree with much of secular thought; however, we have allowed our disagreements to widen the already existing rift between the Church and the Culture. We have forgotten that a similar rift - the eternal separation between God and humanity - was bridged through the love of one man, Christ. Let us minister with that self-same love and bridge this modern, ever widening gap. Let us offer more to culture than a repeated condemnation. Let us work to find common ground upon which to build relationships.

     My brother and I have had our disagreements over the years. I was more often than not the overbearing, self-righteous firstborn, burdened with the maintenance of holiness and personal image. I saw him as the wayward sibling with whom I had been tasked to bring back to the sheepfold. For every flaw he counted in me, I would count twice as many in him, and remind him  to boot. And so, we tolerated each other, suspiciously watching the other's action, each convinced the other was wrong. In all those years, we had little affect in our attempts to conform the other to our standards.

     The day came however when I was to leave for college. We loved each other dearly, brothers in battle, comrades in life to the last. Yet that same suspicion remained. The separation of our lives for the next weeks effected a change though.  The suspicion passed away and was replaced by an irrepressible sense of honor. That Christmas was the first time we ever discussed life openly or considered the other's advice.  We replaced what had been a begrudging existence of disagreement with a grateful relationship of love. We loved each other as equals who cared rather than as disapproving competition.

     As I did for so many years, so we too as Christians have forgotten who our brothers really are, and we have forgotten how to love them. When you look into the eyes of a stranger on the street, you look into the eyes of your brother. When you gaze upon a crowd, you gaze upon a gathering of brethren. When you pass by a searching soul, you pass by a soul kindred to your own. 

     But do you seek to bring these searching brothers an answer? Then you must first love. For without love, there is no life to be given.

Finish...

Physics tonight. And a poem.

Finish.
What are you fleeing?
Running as if the Devil was right behind.
Kicking up little spurts of gravel,
In the recess of your mind.

Starburst, fireworks
Your breath comes heavy and hot.
Always looking for that finish tape
But never able to stop.

Going in circles
I can't seem to keep a straight line.
Running through the dark
Chasing the setting sun.
Twisting through the violent maze
God, when can I be done?

Colors burst, fireworks
Dead ends again and again.
The tar bubbles in the heat as I flee
My feet are black with stain.

Throw me down on the headshrink's couch
Drug me out with gin.
I'll still keep running, pounding on.
Flying forward, but I'll never win.

Blood burst, fireworks
Voices tell me to carry on
Gasping out my fleeting breath,
God, let me see the dawn.

Yes, to God I cry out my soul--
How dare He answer me not.
If He truly cared, loved at all,
He'd grant me peace to stop.

Rain burst, fireworks
Washes away the blood from my eyes
All this time, running the wrong way--
"It is finished," the dying man sighs

I take a step, and then I stop
Hope pouring into my veins.
Oh, this is peace, this is rest--
Letting go in my last death strains.

Lifeburst, fireworks
In death there's life I've found.
Not a grave but true paradise,
Now unchains me from the ground.

I began to walk, and then I run
Not from a fear but joy.
I've learned now its not a race
Not to a point, but to a grace
Not through a line, but through a grave
Now all a celebration of joy.

Starburst. Firework.
Breathe in. Love. Breathe out.
Sunrise, sunset--I see it all.
Fear? Its what I live without.

[all the times you ran away, love pursued you even more]

Rasa, Rasa...

Physics tonight. And a poem.

Rasa, Rasa

My heart beats,
As a man, as a drum.
Hear the lifeline of this earth
Dominion and destruction

Return to this paradise
Respite of the fallen
Roll the dice, pass the cup
Revel in this pleasure den.

If you fly higher
You shall fall all the more
Ten graves deeper down
Looking only to travel lower.

Fall away, call away
What are you looking for?
Famed in the darkness
But starbright at the core.

Raise up, rise up.
Rasa, rasa, tabula rasa.
Rewrite your story,
Reclaim those you lost.

A man once paid ransom for you,
Heaven met Earth for your soul.
Death brought life: Ni kumaliza
Let your debt be paid in full.

See your deeds, failures, your scars
He sees them, knows where you've been
Where you've lived up, down, tried to let go
But calls you Saint, no more condemned.

Child, child, child
Why do you weep?
When Hope seems gone,
Joy destroyed,
Love has left,
Life at dead end.
Remember: you're the one I chose to keep.

[never stop living]

The "Good" in this Friday...

    Two thousand and twelve years ago this day, a man died. He wasn't the only man to die on that day. He wasn't the most famous man to die on that day. Yet, his death changed the lives of millions.
     He was the King, yet was a pauper. He owned the world, yet had no place to lay his head. He was the source of human life, yet submitted to a common criminal's  death. He rescued his friends, yet his friends deserted Him in the end. He was a man, and He was God.

     On this day in history, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the son of a carpenter, died at the hands of the Pharisees and Romans, suffering to the last on a cross. He was a common man, with an uncommon heritage: His father was the Creator of the world, infinite master of the Universe. Christ stepped from the heavenly realm into human form, still imbued with His ultimate power and love.
     But He was killed.

     How is a day good if it marks the death of the Son of God?

     Because this was the day that you were you were forgiven. Today you were set free from sin.
 
     Throughout history, wrongdoing has always required a blood sacrifice for forgiveness; on this day in history, the  pure and sinless blood of God was spilled, covering and repairing the scars, past, present and future, caused by sin. There was incredible love shown on that cross; this God-man died on behalf of the entire world. Other religions have gods who died for various reasons, but never have any of those gods died because they loved every single person in the world.
      But Christ did. His bloody suffering washed you clean--He took the punishment that was yours from the day you were born. The thorns in his head, the nails through his wrists and his ankles, the shards of metal and glass left in his back by the executioners' whips; but at the end of it all He said, "Father, forgive them."

     Today, the Lord died, but today you were set free.

     Freedom from your sin is an incredible gift--go ahead and take it.
     We live because He loved.
   

Skylights...

     Another post, another poem. This one was written as a half-poem, half-song. If any of you have a possible tune for this, give it a go and let me know. Until then, it will simply remain words on a page. (Music really brings our language to life)

--Skylights--

You've got your money,

Drugs, drinks, and bling.

But you've never got your freedom,

A Liberty Bell to ring.

Your psychedelics, religious relics

Never brought anyone joy.

Existentialism is only detrimentalism.

Escape can't be found through the sky or ground.

Release can't read in fiction or Freud.

Success isn't gained through being paranoid.

You've only got Life through the Man on the tree,

Through the blood poured out to make other men free.

Though until now your existence seemed eternity,

Your Life has just begun.

The eternal grave has been turned back again:

You've been made aright--

You've been made alive.

--Today is the last day that you'll die--

Tonight is the night you begin to thrive

Tonight is the night you come alive

Like the current that flows to light up the skies

Is the joy of freedom that lights up your eyes.

There's a fire a'ragin', yearning for souls,

[It lights up the night, and love is its pull]

The flames fan across the full of the world

[Instead of ashes, they leave men strong and bold]

Light up the sky, light up the night

You've got freedom in Christ, He's won the fight.

Welcome to joy, the death of all strife

Welcome to victory, love, freedom, and life.

You are forbidden to say "No"...

     There is a planet in our universe where right is quickly becoming wrong, and wrong is hurriedly transforming to right. The planet believes that shape-shifting morals is the perfect system for life. This same planet also is a proponent of Inter-Galactic "Free-Choice," where everyone is free to live as they please, act as they like (within legal barriers of course), and think as they want.
     But they aren't allowed to say "No."
    Within this planet, there are specific issues to which it's citizens (and subsequent galactic travelers from other worlds, once they are discovered) simply must comply. If they do not comply, the populace shouts them down as bigots, backwards, and marshmallow heads. They are overruled in the courts.
 
     A few days ago in Britain, an elderly couple who owns a Bed and Breakfast in the English countryside lost their court case to another couple whom they had refused hospitality at the hotel. The presiding judge ruled that the refusal amounted to unlawful, direct discrimination. Discrimination against whom?
    The couple who was trying to stay at the Bed and Breakfast was homosexual.
    Out of their beliefs the elderly host couple refused the two men a room because they believed that solely civil union (as well homosexual union) did not constitute a marriage. The host couple is considering appealing the ruling, especially because they believed that it was in their right as private business owners to allow or disallow people to stay at their inn. In addition, they believed that it was their prerogative to act according to their religious convictions: that homosexuality is wrong.
   But the British court forbid them to say "No."
   The reasoning behind the decision was that as a commercial enterprise, the B&B was subject to community standards, rather than the owners' private standards.
    Is this what religious freedom looks like?
    I realize that the homosexual couple may have been looking forward to a nice weekend at a B&B in the English countryside, but never, never, never should vacation plans supersede religious belief.

     This issue is now growing in America. I foresee many instances like this one where Christians refuse Homosexuals because the lifestyle is one of sin. Homosexuality is unnatural, unhealthy, and detrimental to the entire family, which is the foundation of our civilization. Christians naturally will refuse to extend the hand of welcome to this unnatural lifestyle. They love the sinner, but the sin is something Christians cannot support.

   The question is, whose beliefs will be overruled?

The Chosen...

Life is hard. We all can say that. But never forget who and what you are; how much you are worth:

Feeling left out, struggling through
The gray shell of the day.
Maybe pushed aside, maybe ignored
Humanity's mistakes, hunting you: the prey.


Not only theirs, but also yours;
Pains hanging on your heart. 
Whisper "Not loved," whisper "No good"
Between heartbeats miles apart.


But you're chosen.


He's pursuing you with open arms;
Pursuing you with His own heart.


You are chosen.


Full of love, ever enough
His head spinning for you.
The wounds in His hands drip with blood
That cries out:


You are loved.


Why doubt His Passion?
Why doubt His grace?
You're chosen as His bride
With Christ you have a place.


The gray tatters of life may press
Sorrows lie in wait for Joys.
But live like you've nothing left, 
Because He's chosen you.


[Chosen, and loves you.]

Claus or Christ?

 
 One comes on reindeer and a sleigh; the other comes on the clouds with fire. One is rotund and hale of health; the other is omnipotent and immortally eternal. One knows if you have been naughty or nice; the other knows your sins, your good deeds, your thoughts, your future. One offers toys, candy, or coal; the other offers life and eternity. One lowers himself down dirty chimneys to deliver gifts; the other lowered himself down to dirty earth to be killed. One lives at the top of the world; the other lives above and beyond the universe. Yet, despite the glaring differences between the two, Santa Claus and Christ compete every year for possession of the same day: Christmas.
     Although the character of Santa Claus originated in a Christian man's gracious act of love and kindness (see the story of St. Nicholas), the jolly, tuft-bearded man is now a competitor for the attention Christmas originally was created to give to Christ. Over the years, as secularism has become a part of all Christian holidays, Santa has become the main focus for Christmas; Claus has become the celebrated emblem of everything Christmas'y: jolliness, warmth, gift giving, and plenty of food (His waist size is a 50). Unfortunately,  Santa is the accepted emblem, and the true focus of the holiday is missed.
     As the name implies, Christmas is about Christ. The name derives from the Old English of Christ's Mass. Christmas originated with the early church, who looked for a day to celebrate the miraculous occurrence of God coming to earth. Since the beginning of the holiday, Christ has always been the main focus of Christmas; at least until several decades ago.
     But what is wrong with letting Santa take some of the limelight? After all, he is a harmless old man who has elves as personal slaves, right? (Alright--the elves are not his slaves...and he pays them. But they probably came over the border somewhere, right?) The crux of the matter is that Santa represents consumerism, and Christ represents eternity. The nature of Santa is gift giving, and we all know that he doesn't make anything himself; no: the parents buy all the loot, then give him the credit. Buying, buying, buying is the requirement for Santa to stay in business: if the parents don't buy for their kids, then Santa obviously didn't deliver on Christmas Eve. The problem with consumerism? Toys, games, chocolates and wine last no more than a few years. However, Christ is eternal. Celebration of Him requires no money, no toys, no surviving of Black Friday pepper spray. The joy in celebrating his arrival on earth never grows old or rotten.
     Another thing: why do we celebrate Santa Claus on Christ's birthday? After all, we don't celebrate Bill Clinton on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, do we?

   A man cannot serve two masters--choose this day whom you will celebrate: Claus or Christ?
     

Falling...

     C.S. Lewis was an incredible man. From his grasp on allegorical literature to his complete understanding of the Gospel simply laid out in Mere Christianity, Lewis impacted Christianity and Christian literature greatly. But he did not start out as a spiritual giant; instead, as he put it, "I was the most stubborn of all atheists." And indeed, he was. During his college years before World War I, he openly mocked religious students and used his writing ability to create papers debunking God. Yet, Lewis changed after the War: it was then that he turned to God. One of the reasons for his conversion was the deep losses he experienced in his life. When he was nine, his mother died suddenly, leaving Lewis and his brother to be brought up by their dad. During WWI, he became close friends with another soldier. Unfortunately, Lewis' friend was killed suddenly in an attack. These losses decimated Lewis and he looked for comfort. Ultimately, he found the comfort in the arms of Christ. After so many years of feeling out of control, he was able to rest.

Falling down
I never stop.
Til the ground
Stops my feet.

And the ground I now rest upon,
His title is The Rock
Though times again I slip anon
He always stops my feet.

My grasp on Life
Is losing its hold.
My control is rife
With a lack of grip.

I clung with all strength, but in vain;
Losing grasp, I fell.
But His hands caught me, without pain;
And now I'm in His grip.

Falling ain't like flying
Because there's no control.
It's helplessness and crying,
Until you hit the ground.

But falling in life doesn't have to be
The current status quo.
In God's hands, rest eternally
And from there, you'll never fall.

Securely rest
Without fear.
His grasp is the best,
And you'll be surprised by Joy.

Falling ain't like flying,
Because there's no control.
But if you give up trying,
He'll catch you before the ground.

     C.S. Lewis is someone to admire and imitate. Though he lost so much in life, including the wife of his later years, he remained focused and true to Christ.
     Falling isn't like flying; so let God catch you.

It's Aliens...

     One of the many pleasures in life is sitting in a cozy chair and reading a book. Of course its fun, after all, that's how so many blog posts begin, so it must be true. The type of book most people enjoy reading is one that addresses everyday current event issues. What makes this book even better is that it has a conspiracy theory. It's a fact of life: people love conspiracy theories. After all, how else could life be interesting if aliens weren't behind it all?
     Of course, everyone has their own suspicions about what is really behind occurrences in the world. For my part, I think that the recent earthquakes were caused by China which has an earthquake machine buried in D.C. They knew that the earthquakes would cause FEMA to spend more money, forcing the U.S. deeper into debt to China. But it's not the Chinese Communist Government at fault here; they are merely being used. See, there is a small group of people in the jungles of the Congo that were really the masterminds behind the Russian Communist Revolution, the U.S.S.R., and Mao's dictatorship over China. This small group was also responsible for Hitler's rise and collapse and for the Great Depression in the U.S., and they now  have full control over the Chinese government. The secret behind their impact is mind control. All over the world, this group has transmitters disguised as Coke machines through which they subconsciously 'suggest' information to the people within range. These Coke machine transmitters are the reason that the U.S. Government is attempting to eradicate soft drink machines from the schools: the FBI and CIA recognize the threat, and are attempting to stop it. Too extraordinary to be true? That's what the government said when I told them that the ringleader lived in Philville, Virginia, and controls the world from there (he also owns McDonalds and is bent on destroying the world through obesity). Through my research, I have not found any evidence of alien interference, but usually the Men In Black keep any such information quiet. I don't have any PHD's that back my theory up, but you never know....
     What's your theory?
     I have another conspiracy theory, except it's not too much of a theory--it's fact: there is a great and loving God who created the very dirt we stand on, who has a Son, who is eternal and infinite, and who controls everything. You ask for PHD advocacy? I have the very words of this God, which trumps any PHD. Granted, there are thousands of intelligent men and women with doctorates who have given much weight to this theory::cough::fact, but the Word straight from the Top (straight from God) is all I need.
     That's my theory.
    

lightbulb...

It has now become an incorrigible habit of mine to write poetry during our history TOG meetings. I pay attention, but verses just seem to come. Anyways-- here is tonight's poem--it's a summation of an analogy of my life. My life is like a lightbulb. If you still wonder what I mean after finishing reading, just ask.

lightbulb.

In the middle of a room
Stands a lamp--with the lightbulb on.
Shining into every dark corner,
Dispelling any gloom.

Despite the brilliance given,
There is still fragility,
A split second of off and on,
And failures in the living

Let my life resemble
This light; for You.
I may break easily
But Your hands assemble
Anew.

Your power is pulsing, flowing,
Lighting me up for the world.
Coursing through my veins and heart,
In the middle of the room I am glowing.

If I lose hope; shatter into pieces,
The light grows dim; darkness returns.
I'm human, I'm fragile I know,
But Your love for me still reaches.

Let my life be a light for You,
Though I break, You make anew.
In the middle of the darkness, surrounded
I'm nothing, lest in Your power am founded.

 five: millions of pieces.
 four: come together again.
three: power to shine bright.
two: darkness reaches.
one: ___ ___ ___
       light.

Flight School...

     Have you ever wanted to learn to fly? To "slip the surly bonds of earth" as Gillespie Magee succinctly put it? Now, there is an opportunity to do so. In an Aviation Magazine article here, long-time pilot and educator, Barry Schiff offered a $3,000 scholarship for any young person above 16 and under 21 to learn to fly. The winner of the scholarship can attend the flight school of their choice.
   
      Needless to say, I am definitely interested in this opportunity; its wonderful when chances like this are available. In order to win the scholarship, you simply have to submit a 500-word essay explaining why you would like to learn to fly as well as a color photo of yourself. If Mr. Schiff deems your essay to be excellent, and yourself to be handsome, you will win his scholarship, along with other flight-oriented equipment. Cool? Yep. All entries are due by December 15, and are subject to his own opinion and liking, etc.
 

  Need I say more?

Cookies...

     Did you ever wonder, what makes the grass grow? Did you ever wonder, what makes the sun shine? Did you ever wonder, where Girl Scout Cookies come from?

     In answer to the first two questions, God is the one behind it all; as for the third question, the way the cookies taste, God could be behind that too. However, the Girl Scout website says differently. Apparently, the Girl Scouts do not make the cookies themselves, but are only the door-to-door solicitors of goodness. Two outside companies make the cookies themselves: "ABC Bakers" and "Little Brownie Bakers". These companies are licensed by the Girl Scouts of America to bake the Thin Mints, Do-Si-Do's, and Samoa cookies. Just in case you were worried, all of the cookies are Kosher.
     According to the website, the best selling cookie is the Thin Mint, closely followed by the Samoa and the Peanut Butter varieties. No preservatives are used in the making of the cookies, and no animals are hurt in the process of the baking. All of the chocolate used comes from a free trade zone, and not from obscure cacao farms with the beans picked by children. Although some of the cookies say "Sugar Free" they still might possess a small amount of High-Fructose Corn Syrup, making them not diabetic cookies.
    This ends the line of information about the Girl Scout Cookies, and here ends any philosophical status that my blog may have had. Next up--where do the Boy Scouts get all of their popcorn?

And yes, the packages are 100% recyclable.

Alive...

Another poem spurred on by History last night....


Welcome to my world
Everything is up and down.
Blacks and whites look more like grays,
And there's no direction in this town.

Why can't everything be crystal clear?
My thinking isn't straight.
Looking for a note in all the noise,
Can anything change my state?

I've tried and I've tried, but I still am lost.
I've lied and I've lied, but the truth still haunts me.
Reason only leaves dead ends and confusion to life;
I thought I was living, but is there life in me?

I've looked at everything under the sun,
And yet, the answer hides.
My eyes are open but I don't see,
The Truth that's on all sides.

You surround me; lifting my life up
Yet I ignore Your love and focus on my day
Life is senseless when You're not involved
I choose Your light, Your life--
And in Your arms I'll stay.

Nothing is true unless the Truth is real.
Nothing is living unless Life has awakened it.
Direction is circular without the Way that is Straight
And the One who redeems your life from the pit.

Come awake and come alive,
By taking the hand held out to you.
There's love overpowering and sweet.
There's Christ that makes all new.

Amen.

Arabic Lesson (contd)....

For those of you who waited patiently to figure out what the two men were saying in Arabic yesterday--here is a translation.

Ahmed: Hello! My name is Ahmed
Najeed: Hello to you.
Ahmed: What is your name?
Najeed: My name is Najeed. Where are you from?
Ahmed: I am from Kuwait. And you?
Najeed: I am from Tunis.
Ahmed: Nice to meet you. How are you?
Najeed: I am fine, praise God. And yourself?
Ahmed: I'm good, praise God. Hello.
Najeed: Hello to you.
(both men look at each other strangely; staring at the other's eyebrows. They turn, take three paces in opposite directions, and fire. The duel is clearly spontaneous in nature. Both miss, then run off-stage)

Now, due to my amateur Arabic skills, the above translation may or may not be up to par, but it gets the gist of the conversation.

Don't forget how to live...

     As we go about our daily business, be it school, work, or chores, we oftentimes end up focusing on the things right in front of us. Of course, we have to focus on the work at hand, or else nothing will get done. But how often do you sit back and think about the future, think past what is right in front of you?  Think past college, marriage, and your life, and consider where the world is going. If the world will eventually burn, then what point is there to being creative, being innovative, and being smart? If you think this outlook is pessimistic, you are correct, but this is the mindset that Christians find so easy to fall into. Challenge yourself to think deeper than that. Find the things that do have eternal ramifications, and pursue those. If we have the shallow view that all is eventually nothing, then there is no point to life. But that is the catch. There is a point to life, one that Christians and non-Christians so easily miss and forget.
     Man was created to love and be loved. Love whom? There is only one that we can love, and perfectly be loved in return. His name is Christ, Elohim, God, Elyon, Jehovah, Abba, Father. He is the purpose of life; He is life. When we focus on the horizontal, on the day that is ahead of us, and forget that there is another dimension to our toils, we have forgotten how to live. Of course, when you forget how to live, death and pessimism set in. When you look at the future, ponder the world, ponder life, ponder marriage, ponder college. But never forget that the only way to ever live life is to pursue the Creator.
    Run hard.
  

Same as it ever was....

I had a lesson in the culture of my parents last night. Clearly, as the video shows, the music industry of the late eighties seemed to be running low on intelligence.

Does the song have a message? Of course. To sum up the song in a few lines, it reads like this:

I know what I want and what I wish

I got what I wanted and what I wished

This is not what I wanted and what I wished

Its the same as it ever was.

It is a rather narcissistic view to life, but when you run low on ideas for a song, hey, you write one like this, and become a philosopher.

But is everything the same as it ever was? Granted, history does seem to repeat itself, but is there a flow to life that has an ending and a purpose?