Taking a break from the blues

That’s because I just scored The Missus and me a pair of tickets for a Leonard Cohen live performance next month. With him being at 73, it is safe to say I had long-since given up the ghost on ever seeing him perform live again.

Of course, even the shitty balcony seats we got cost us an arm and a leg at a time when we can scarcely afford it. It went on the “Bad” credit card. I don’t know how bad the credit card really is though, it only does what we tell it to. Like my “bad” guitar.

Somehow, my friend Jon over at onehumanbeing.com knew I’d be beating feet to grab seats to this upcoming Cohen show and left a very nice comment on an unrelated post, so I reproduce his kind words here:

Christianity needs a new direction (if it can be saved from its latest kidnapping) - ready to go into the ministry Rev. Fang?

It could be interesting...You help cure your blues go worship at the L. Cohen Church of Transformation... Leonard Cohen, Live From The Beacon Theatre (full NPR Concert).

I've listened to it several times now... and it takes me back to '93, seeing Leonard - Fang was there, and Mario, Mark Dowdy (I think), Brian Maul and some others. Fang was lead singer for Illusion Stu - a Leonard Cohen centered musical moment (you could call it a band) that altered my life in many ways. Thanks for introducing Tania and I to the wonder and beauty of the great L. Cohen

Jon, onehumanbeing

I will take that gratitude in the spirit in which it offered and pass it along to the guy who introduced me to Mr. Cohen’s work, my friend Barmosca.

And now I hope to pass it along again to The Missus. (Oh please God, don’t let this show suck!)

As for Christianity needing a new direction, I couldn’t agree more. As usual, Leonard said it best, in this case in an online interview he gave a few years ago. Somebody wrote in and asked:

“You have such vivid Christian imagery in many of your songs, and much of it is contrasted with the selfishness of the ‘modern’ individual. I was wondering what's your take on the state of Christianity today?”

Leonard, the self-described ‘little Jew who wrote the Bible’ who I believe may be the new-model Christian my friend Jon is looking for, answered thusly, and I’ve always thought it was one of the great off-the-cuff ruminations on reconciling spirituality and humanity I’ve ever read. Leonard Cohen said:

“I don't really have a ‘take on the state of Christianity.’ But when I read your question, this answer came to mind: As I understand it, into the heart of every Christian, Christ comes, and Christ goes. When, by his Grace, the landscape of the heart becomes vast and deep and limitless, then Christ makes His abode in that graceful heart, and His Will prevails. The experience is recognized as Peace. In the absence of this experience much activity arises, divisions of every sort. Outside of the organizational enterprise, which some applaud and some mistrust, stands the figure of Jesus, nailed to a human predicament, summoning the heart to comprehend its own suffering by dissolving itself in a radical confession of hospitality.”

Did I mention we’re going to the Leonard Cohen concert next month!? Woohoo!