Cockburn Brian J. Walsh poverty wealth Archives

Transitions in a Dangerous Time

“But nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight Got to kick at the darkness ’til it bleeds daylight When you’re lovers in a dangerous time.” – Bruce Cockburn, “Lovers In A Dangerous Time.” These words of Bruce Cockburn acknowledge that there is darkness. This present darkness in which we walk can be characterized…

Of Cats and Bells

Today, I saw a house-cat hunting a squirrel. The cat crept up on the unsuspecting creature, carefully trying to get within range of a giant leap and an unleashing of claws and teeth. One could see thousands of years of instincts and intuition, passed down from ancient ancestors, coiled up in the body of this…

Pacing the Cage

Bruce Cockburn has written many brilliant songs, but the one that is on my mind tonight is “Pacing the Cage” (1996, The Charity of the Night). He captures humanity’s angst well. Who can’t relate to this song in some way? We long for something more than this cage in which we find ourselves; we’ve lived…

Chained to the Rhythm

I have a confession: I like one of Katy Perry’s songs. “Chained to the Rhythm” is her latest single and she debuted the song on the Grammy Awards Show. Why do I like this song? The message of the song is aimed at the average person in North American culture, and the message is that…

Women in Leadership

A young and godly woman in our church recently asked if I could direct her to some resources related to the roles of men and women in the church. She admitted to being confused by how people in the church speak of the issues. On the one hand we say that Jesus and Paul were…

My Father Was A Farmer

Happy Robert Burns Day! “My Father Was A Farmer” Robert Burns, 1782 Song to the tune of “The weaver and his shuttle, O.” My father was a farmer upon the Carrick border, O, And carefully he bred me in decency and order, O; He bade me act a manly part, though I had ne’er a…

Follow-up to Pacing the Cage

Yesterday’s blog quoted Bruce Cockburn’s amazing song, “Pacing The Cage.” In that song sunset is a metaphor for aging and death. It is a dark and brooding song about the sundown stage of life. In this follow-up I quote Wayne Watson’s “There Goes Sundown.” It has some of the same melancholy and sorrow of a…

Pacing The Cage

(Bruce Cockburn – 24 June 1995. Philadelphia.) (Watch him perform this song here.) Sunset is an angel weeping Holding out a bloody sword No matter how I squint I cannot Make out what it’s pointing toward Sometimes you feel like you live too long Days drip slowly on the page You catch yourself Pacing the…

A Parable

Once there was a wealthy business man who passed away. People knew him as an upright entrepreneur, a leader who served in a mid-level political role, and a man of character. He was well loved and it was expected that many would attend his funeral and speak of his kindness to others, his generous gifts…

A Piece of the Darkness

I am reading Street Crossers by Rick Shrout. Chapter two is about Jason Evans who started something called Church at Matthew’s House (or simply Matthew’s House). At the close of the chapter, Rick reflects on some of what Jason has to say: I was blown away when Jason made the comment about being called to…