Monday, July 17, 2006

Peaceable Kingdom (rev. 1)

(rev 1 in green)

With all the news coming from the Middle East and North Korea; with all my thoughts on discipleship; with Phil's class on The Kingdom; and with my reading of Night by Elie Wiesel, I can't get the lyrics of a song out of my head. I love the song and the group, but lyrics are haunting me for other reasons. So I share them and look forward to the ideas and comments they put in your head. Please post any thoughts they elicit.

Peaceable Kingdom
from Vapor Trails by Rush
Lyrics Neil Peart, Music by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson

A waive toward the clearing the sky

All this time we're talking and sharing our rational view
A billion other voices are spreading other news
All this time we're living and trying to understand
Why a billion other choices are making their demands

Talk of a peaceable kingdom
Talk of a time without fear
The ones we wish would listen
Are never going to hear

Justice against the hanged man
Knight of Wands against the hour
Swords against the kingdom
Time against the tower

All this time we're shuffling and laying out all our cards
While a billion other dealers are slipping past our guards
All this time we're hoping and praying we all might learn
While a billion other teachers are teaching them how to burn

Dream of a peaceable kingdom
Dream of a time without war
The ones we wish would hear us
Have heard it all before

A wave toward the clearing sky
A wave toward the clearing sky

The hermit against the lovers
Or the devil against the fool
Swords against the kingdom
The wheel against the rules

All this time we're burning like bonfires in the dark
A billion other blazes are shooting off their sparks
Every spark a drifting ember of desire
To fall upon the earth and spark another fire

A homeward angel on the fly
A wave toward the clearing sky

*********************************************


I pray every night with my child and then dream of the Peaceable Kingdom . . . "your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven . . . deliver us from the evil one."

Or how about this: I have seen the evil one, and it is us!

5 comments:

JMG said...

"The ones we wish would listen are never going to hear."

The people in power in the world do what they want without listening to what the rest of the world thinks. I'll bet that the "regular" people of different countries have more in common with each other than they do with their leaders.

Tony Arnold said...

Bet you are right.

Tony

Stoned-Campbell Disciple said...

Rush has always had thoughtful lyrics now I know they do theology too, :-)

We need more kingdom thinking keep it up.

Just discovered your blog. Like the reading list too.

Shalom,
Bobby Valentine
http://stoned-campbelldisciple.blogspot.com/

Tony Arnold said...

Thanks for the comments Bobby. I have enjoyed your comments on Phil's blog.

Neil Peart is a great lyricist but doesn't have a faith in a traditional form although many of his lyrics contain spiritual and theological thoughts.

David Amulet said...

I'm with JMG: "The ones we wish would listen are never going to hear" is a great line.

I've heard that "peacable kingdom" is a phrase that has been used for years for Canada. I like the way Neil turned it to apply to today's world.

-- david