Happy 4th everyone. Just got back from a barbecue on a friend's house.Good food, good friends, some wine and cake-Heaven!
But we started off the day with mass in church. Not too many people at the service though.And usually such a small crowd does not merit a choir. But Independence day is an exception I guess.The Music director and the Organist were there and we had the honor of listening to an assortment of patriotic songs.
We started off with 'America the Beautiful' followed by 'Finlandia' and ended with 'Battle Hymn of the Republic'. Rousing, moving, tender and steely at the same time, the lyrics to the first two songs were touching to say the least.But what really caught my attention with both was the humility and realism that they seemed to be imbued with. No chest thumping about one's superiority.No trumpeting one's glory and pride. No talk of American exceptionalism.
In fact the first one owns up to having flaws and hoping to have them forgiven and mended by God.And mentions how 'Liberty is law'.There is no true freedom unless one abides by the law of the land.
The second one goes even further. It talks about other lands and how they are not in anyway inferior to our homeland. It talks of the beauty of America but also acknowledges that similar beauty exists elsewhere too. Every heart in every nation beats with pride and devotion to its nation.Nothing is exceptional about any country-everyone has their own piece of paradise.And the song goes on to ask for peace-for ALL nations. Freedom from strife-for every human being in the world. Not American, not Russian, not Brazilian-but every person on earth.
I found it ironic that on the day of our Independence, the songs heard everywhere are actually far more rousing for the self awareness that they profess about our place on earth and a global view of what a country is all about. It is not the myopic ' I'm the best' blare that one mistakes for patriotism.
This year, it becomes even more significant, because we (collectively as a country) seem to be in the throes of some kind of teenage rebellion / hissy fit.We are stomping our feet and insisting that we are the best and the whole world is being unfair to us and that we will dig our heels in and teach everyone a lesson.We make friends with the mean kids who snicker at all the tame ones. We break up with friends we've known from kindergarten.We court the school bully. Oh!The drama!!
The first one was written in 1893.The second, in 1934. The world was a much different place then, countries were far more isolated.Economies weren't as intertwined. People couldn't travel between countries with ease. But without all that, there was far more open mindedness and acceptance and humility.One would assume that with more knowledge, would come the awareness that the knowledge acquired is actually just a drop in the ocean and there is yet an ocean full of it to be learnt. But we seem to be all bluster and no substance.
Could we revisit these songs? Can we all read, really read the lyrics? Can they make us think? Can they make us understand what the world is all about?
I don't know. But hope springs eternal doesn't it?
But we started off the day with mass in church. Not too many people at the service though.And usually such a small crowd does not merit a choir. But Independence day is an exception I guess.The Music director and the Organist were there and we had the honor of listening to an assortment of patriotic songs.
We started off with 'America the Beautiful' followed by 'Finlandia' and ended with 'Battle Hymn of the Republic'. Rousing, moving, tender and steely at the same time, the lyrics to the first two songs were touching to say the least.But what really caught my attention with both was the humility and realism that they seemed to be imbued with. No chest thumping about one's superiority.No trumpeting one's glory and pride. No talk of American exceptionalism.
In fact the first one owns up to having flaws and hoping to have them forgiven and mended by God.And mentions how 'Liberty is law'.There is no true freedom unless one abides by the law of the land.
The second one goes even further. It talks about other lands and how they are not in anyway inferior to our homeland. It talks of the beauty of America but also acknowledges that similar beauty exists elsewhere too. Every heart in every nation beats with pride and devotion to its nation.Nothing is exceptional about any country-everyone has their own piece of paradise.And the song goes on to ask for peace-for ALL nations. Freedom from strife-for every human being in the world. Not American, not Russian, not Brazilian-but every person on earth.
I found it ironic that on the day of our Independence, the songs heard everywhere are actually far more rousing for the self awareness that they profess about our place on earth and a global view of what a country is all about. It is not the myopic ' I'm the best' blare that one mistakes for patriotism.
This year, it becomes even more significant, because we (collectively as a country) seem to be in the throes of some kind of teenage rebellion / hissy fit.We are stomping our feet and insisting that we are the best and the whole world is being unfair to us and that we will dig our heels in and teach everyone a lesson.We make friends with the mean kids who snicker at all the tame ones. We break up with friends we've known from kindergarten.We court the school bully. Oh!The drama!!
The first one was written in 1893.The second, in 1934. The world was a much different place then, countries were far more isolated.Economies weren't as intertwined. People couldn't travel between countries with ease. But without all that, there was far more open mindedness and acceptance and humility.One would assume that with more knowledge, would come the awareness that the knowledge acquired is actually just a drop in the ocean and there is yet an ocean full of it to be learnt. But we seem to be all bluster and no substance.
Could we revisit these songs? Can we all read, really read the lyrics? Can they make us think? Can they make us understand what the world is all about?
I don't know. But hope springs eternal doesn't it?
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