We are reaching the endgame of this chapter of America. Our country is made of Vanity, fear and the guilt of naked humankind. We cover it over, we prevaricate. We never know what will happen. Some understand the drama, some do not. It has stages and a soundtrack
It is about seeing the coming of the Lord. It is about truth marching on. It is mostly about transfiguration. At the end of the song the lyricist erred.
Jesus did not die to make us holy but to wring some justice from our spectrum bones. And whatever we died for in our latter-day wars it was not to make men free.
Exceptionality
There are three values that make us free and lead to whatever holiness we can hope to attain. We after all fallible people who have within us all possibilities from the worst to the best. The values are tolerance because that makes flexible and smart, helpfulness because that means we teach and enable each other, and democracy because everyone is too important to be lorded over by someone else.
To be exceptional is to see that you succeed by understanding that there is no box at all,
So, what is the truth?
Truth is beauty, and beauty is truth.
Keats said it and is called a romantic. A romantic is actually someone who believes. Keats was a believer. We are waiting for the truth to arrive.
The song about terrible swift swords recognizes that Christ came to get rid of both "terrible" and "swords". He favored things like serious talk, good wine, and the practice of the values named above. Jesus would have nothing to do with a paid ministry or an institutional church. He was interested in obedience, not in being worshipped.
What was the truth of Watergate? Democracy! Pure and simple. Dick fought the law and the law won.
Keats had it right
If it's not beautiful it isn't true. If it's not true it isn't beautiful. Knowing that is the only academic credential you need.
Anything that is not directed to this truth is a charade. We are not meant to be defined by brain scientists and their philosophical followers. We are meant to value poets and listen to them for a hint of truth.
What will happen?
Despite the certainty of those who believe we have no freedom, we do. We always decide the future. That we do so impulsively and in a knee-jerk manner is our problem. That we are left no choice is also our problem. What will happen is that truth will march on. We will have determined it. We can either continue to believe we must ignore the values stated here or we can follow them. The only thing that is certain is the time is almost up.