Thursday, March 20, 2008
Maundy Thursday meditations in Cow Country
"The ballad of 'Silver Jack' came from some sophisticated writer and not from working men. Its setting is a camp of Michigan lumber cutters, but John A. Lomax heard it in cow country and put it in his Cowboy Ballads. Its burden is conformity versus free thinking.
"A fellow in camp by the name of Robert Waite, tonguey and 'what they call a skeptic,' said hell was a humbug, the Bible a fable, and the Savior 'just a common man.' Silver Jack yelled, 'You've got to take it back.'
" 'They fit for forty minutes
And the crowd would whoop and cheer
When Jack spit up a tooth or two.
Or when Bobby lost an ear.
" 'But at last Jack got him under
And he slugged him oncet or twicet,
And straightway Bob admitted
The divinity of Christ. ...
" 'Then someone brought a bottle out
And kindly passed it round. ...
" ' ... And the spread of infidelity
Was checked in camp that day.' "
(from J. Frank Dobie, Cow Country (Austin: University of Texas Press, 1964), 231.)
"A fellow in camp by the name of Robert Waite, tonguey and 'what they call a skeptic,' said hell was a humbug, the Bible a fable, and the Savior 'just a common man.' Silver Jack yelled, 'You've got to take it back.'
" 'They fit for forty minutes
And the crowd would whoop and cheer
When Jack spit up a tooth or two.
Or when Bobby lost an ear.
" 'But at last Jack got him under
And he slugged him oncet or twicet,
And straightway Bob admitted
The divinity of Christ. ...
" 'Then someone brought a bottle out
And kindly passed it round. ...
" ' ... And the spread of infidelity
Was checked in camp that day.' "
(from J. Frank Dobie, Cow Country (Austin: University of Texas Press, 1964), 231.)
Comments:
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Well, this went over like a turd in a punch bowl.
I liked the conformity versus free thinking thing. The story is kind of an upside-down and backwards version of the Jesus story.
They beat Jesus, the nonconformist, to try to make him conform, but in the end he made many of them freer-thinkers.
I liked the conformity versus free thinking thing. The story is kind of an upside-down and backwards version of the Jesus story.
They beat Jesus, the nonconformist, to try to make him conform, but in the end he made many of them freer-thinkers.
I think this may be backwards.
I think that Jesus wanted them (and us) to conform to His image, and endeavor to be like Him, forgiven and sinless. I think the Pharisees (and sinners) are the "nonconformists" because our sin keeps us from being like Christ and obeying God. We (the Pharisees even added to the Law that God gave Moses, conforming it to keep them in power) beat Jesus and killed Him because we/they wouldn't conform, yet by His love and sacrifice, and His Holy Spirit sent into our hearts, He saves us from "Nonconformity" and hell. Then, when we die as believers, God sees His beautiful Son in us, because Jesus has imputed His righteousness to us, rather than all our sin. Thus, we are conformed!
How about that one! ;)
I think that Jesus wanted them (and us) to conform to His image, and endeavor to be like Him, forgiven and sinless. I think the Pharisees (and sinners) are the "nonconformists" because our sin keeps us from being like Christ and obeying God. We (the Pharisees even added to the Law that God gave Moses, conforming it to keep them in power) beat Jesus and killed Him because we/they wouldn't conform, yet by His love and sacrifice, and His Holy Spirit sent into our hearts, He saves us from "Nonconformity" and hell. Then, when we die as believers, God sees His beautiful Son in us, because Jesus has imputed His righteousness to us, rather than all our sin. Thus, we are conformed!
How about that one! ;)
# posted by 
: 10:39 AM
: 10:39 AM
Uh ... Hidy, Elisa!
I meant, and usually mean, conformity to be a bad thing and free-thinking to be a good thing.
But if I think of conformity as good, I can sorta see yer thinking, if I squint real hard. But maybe I'm just bein' nice -- for the sake of conformity. :-)
I meant, and usually mean, conformity to be a bad thing and free-thinking to be a good thing.
But if I think of conformity as good, I can sorta see yer thinking, if I squint real hard. But maybe I'm just bein' nice -- for the sake of conformity. :-)
But then, of course, if I agreed with you, then I'd be conforming and you would be a hypocrite for wanting me to conform to your non-conformity. My free-thinking would then be a moot point. You wouldn't want that. Therefore, it would be better for you to agree with my position because then by conforming to my thoughts, you wouldn't be conforming to your doctrine of non-conformity. :)
Way, way to much fun with this one!
However, if you had to conform to something, conforming to Christ would be the best thing! Talk about freed thinking!
Happy Resurrection Day
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Way, way to much fun with this one!
However, if you had to conform to something, conforming to Christ would be the best thing! Talk about freed thinking!
Happy Resurrection Day
# posted by : 12:04 PM
: 12:04 PM << Home
