Perhaps, you recall “well excuse me” becoming a catchphrase for comedian Steve Martin.
Interestingly, Mr. Martin used his gifts to find success as a scriptwriter for television, comedian, banjo player, actor, author, screenwriter, director, recording artist, playwright, producer, and art collector.
Not bad for a guy who turns 78 in August.
Mr. Martin’s talents have made me laugh, cry, and ponder.
His work with the North Carolina based bluegrass band, the Steep Canyon Rangers is impressive.
Twice, my wife and I attended the live performance of An Evening You Will Forget For The Rest of Your Life featuring you and Martin Short.
And we have completed watching the first season of Only Murders In The Building on Hulu starring Selena Gomez, Mr. Short, and yourself.
In 2013, Steve Martin and Edie Brickell released the bluegrass album Love Has Come For You.
Early in her career, Miss Brickell fronted the band—Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians. They were one hit wonders with—“What I Am.”
The album Love Has Come For You was produced by Peter Asher. In the early 60s, Mr. Asher was the Peter in the British duo—Peter and Gordon. For this album, Miss Brickell provided the song lyrics and Mr. Martin the music.
Sometimes on the internet, I stumble upon a music video with heartfelt lyrics, quality musicianship, and pretty vocals.
For me, “Love Has Come For You” is one of those songs. It features Miss Brickell singing lead vocal, Mr. Martin on banjo, and the Steep Canyon Rangers backing them.
The song is a story about a young lady who gives birth to a baby boy out of wedlock.
Her family attempts to persuade the mother to give up her new born son.
Yet holding her sweet son in her arms, she realized giving him up wasn’t a possibility.
Plus when she held him, “she could hear the quiet angels sing—love, love, love has come for you.”
Until the day she died, this mother held on to the words of the quiet angels for her son—“love, love, love has come for you.”
In this complicated, messy, weary world of ours, it is very clear that love has not come for some people.
I don’t believe love exists anywhere in Vladimir Putin’s heart.
I think the same for the heart of Adolph Hitler.
No way that Taliban leaders in Afghanistan have love in their hearts by depriving women of education and other freedoms.
With the start of a new year, Americans hold out hope that we will work to be better. But that hope is short lived.
According to a January 24, 2023 report from CNN, three weeks into the new year, the Gun Violence Archive has recorded 39 mass shootings across America.(Paul LeBlanc) I wonder if those trigger pullers ever experienced love in their hearts.
How do we bring love to people in crisis?
How do we love the unloveable?
How do we love when we feel incapable or unwilling?
Tuesday evening, February 7, 2023, the Community Conversations program at our church hosted Richmond author, Chip Jones.
Mr. Jones has written a compelling book: The Organ Thieves— The Story of the First Heart Transplant in the Segregated South.
During the hour long conversation, Mr. Jones was quite remarkable in answering questions.
A question near the end referenced a tense courtroom scene from the movie, A Few Good Men.
The prosecuting attorney with determined intensity tells the witness on the stand that “I want the truth.”
And the witness fiercely responds to the attorney with “You can’t handle the truth.”
I asked Mr. Jones if the racial divide in America is grounded in our inability to handle the truth of our shortcomings?
Part of Mr. Jones’ response was linked to a quote from Richard Rohr, a Franciscan friar, who founded the Center for Action and Contemplation: “As any good therapist will tell you, you cannot heal what you do not acknowledge, and what you do not consciously acknowledge will remain in control from within, festering, and destroying you and those around you.”(Admitting Our Wrongdoings 11-26-2015 CAC)
Love can’t heal, if we can’t acknowledge the mistakes from our past and present.
In the song “Love Has Come To You” the unwed mother acknowledged the love she felt and saw in her son.
With that confirmation, there was no turning back. The mother held for a lifetime the healing love from the quiet angels singing.
If I’m lucky, I’ll turn seventy in June.
Well excuse me, but, my heart is overdue to acknowledge my shortcomings and the shortcomings of America.
We need to acknowledge the festering inside our American hearts.
Failing to make this acknowledgement only ensures more heartbreak.
The quiet angels are nudging.
We need to let love come for us.
might be baloney 