“I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think.”
― Socrates
This past week, a Mount Rushmore of rock drummers, Neil Peart, passed away. As was his penchant, his illness (brain cancer) was not well-known, as he kept his private life exactly that. Private. I chose the Socrates quote due to Peart’s reputation as an intellectual, he was one of three parts of the band, Rush. Geddy Lee said Peart, as the primary writer, created lyrics that were a mouthful to sing. I was never a rabid fan, they were too clinical for my ears, and I never acquired a taste for Lee’s high-pitched register. But my music nerd-ness forced a recognition of Peart’s gargantuan talent in pounding the skins. Not only did he thunder, he was ultra precise. I did a spit-take when Jack Black said in the excellent documentary Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage, “down to the atom.”
As I read all the condolences from other music heavyweights, I was reminded what a drag it is when our heroes die. Maybe it’s an actor, author, or someone close who influenced your life, but at some point, a talent you revere will leave this life. A friend forwarded an article about Peart, his intellectual prowess led him down a well-lived life of chef, voracious reader, birdwatcher, avid museum visitor, motorcyclist, model kit builder, and bad ass drummer, an all-around raconteur. On a heart level, he was known as a man of letters. He invested substantial time in corresponding with friends via handwritten letters and postcards. A lost art in our texting and 140-character age.
Peart lived an astonishingly full life. But in this February, 2015 interview with Jim Ladd, Peart said this, which I excerpted from a Patheos article:
“And I always say too, if I’m going to go up to heaven and meet St. Peter and Jesus and God and Allah and Buddah, whichever one you wanna pick, I’m gonna be okay, because I have lived a life based on that and I believe in generosity and charity and kindness and courtesy, those are things that just seem good to me anyway, I don’t need a threat to make me behave that way and I don’t need a reward.”
Unless something changed with Peart since the 2015 interview, this hurts deeply. I wish the discussion was not needed, but it is, at an eternal level. We can’t delay until the timing feels right, since tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. It eats at me when I read about fans saying RIP, the same way I struggled with Anthony Bourdain’s death, as he several times mentioned he was not religious. Peart is essentially saying he decided he was ok, whether God agreed or not, followed by no interest in an eternal treasure. It’s a question of authority, as I mentioned in my Friday, January 10th article.
Tragedy creates different paths, not always leading to God. I know theologically that God allows or sometimes engineers tragedy to drive us towards Him, fist-shaking be damned. As much as I despise the tactic, I very much recognize the need. We flippantly and arrogantly dismiss the entity who gave us food, breath, life, and existence itself. When He blesses us, we often look at our brilliance as the reason. We leave little choice but for Him to take short-term losses to ensure eternal victories. Again, I do hate it, but can grasp the logic behind the motives. In other words, if heaven is perfect, disease-free and filled with love that lasts forever, God WILL do whatever it takes to ensure we join Him. That includes sacrificing His Son, and taking drastic measures to make us consider Christ.
I have big grace and empathy for folks when they say “God is a mystery. Who really knows if he, she or it exists.” It saddens me, maddens me, and makes me throw my hands up. I vacillate between anger and exasperation with God, and frustration with the people who deny Him. If God invites people the way He did with me on Friday, October 22nd, 1999, then I have little patience for people. His sledgehammer crash into my life, followed by a vice-like grip, gave me zero choice to walk away. I knew I was in a tractor beam impossible to escape. At the same time, not everyone has a similar story. For some, the wooing of God takes years or decades for them to step into relationship. That’s where my anger flairs at God.
The thing is, if we make a choice to believe in Christ, we’re commanded to be all in, mystery, anger and confusion included. Every piece of our life has been surrendered to a Christian worldview and ethos. Sure, handing over control can be scary, until the proper posture is recognized. Christ as our Lord, knows what’s best for us, and thereby guarantees a bigger, richer (in spirit not cash), more expansive adventure. At a core level, this means we must care fervently about eternity, and the Gospel as the jewel that gets us where we, our family, friends and heroes want to reside.
I juxtapose Peart’s thoughts above, with the insight of another musical giant, John Coltrane. He wrote this on the liner notes of his 1965 jazz masterpiece, Love Supreme.
“DEAR LISTENER: ALL PRAISE BE TO GOD TO WHOM ALL PRAISE IS DUE. Let us pursue Him in the righteous path. Yes it is true; “seek and ye shall find.” Only through Him can we know the most wondrous bequeathal.
During the year 1957, I experienced, by the grace of God, a spiritual awakening which was to lead me to a richer, fuller, more productive life. At that time, in gratitude, I humbly asked to be given the means and privilege to make others happy through music. I feel this has been granted through His grace. ALL PRAISE TO GOD.
As time and events moved on, a period of irresolution did prevail. I entered into a phase which was contradictory to the pledge and away from the esteemed path; but thankfully, now and again through the unerring and merciful hand of God, I do perceive and have been duly re-informed of His OMNIPOTENCE, and of our need for, and dependence on Him. At this time I would like to tell you that NO MATTER WHAT … IT IS WITH GOD. HE IS GRACIOUS AND MERCIFUL. HIS WAY IS IN LOVE, THROUGH WHICH WE ALL ARE. IT IS TRULY – A LOVE SUPREME – .”
Everything about the note has clear depictions of what Christ stands for, plus any mention of “His grace,” is usually uttered after an encounter with the man on the cross. I’m confident God gives every person an opportunity to choose the thoughts of Peart or Coltrane. He’ll use failure, divorce, illness, and yes, death, to wake us up. Therefore, it’s theologically impossible that people will arrive in heaven and sincerely say, “Whuh? Jesus, you’re real? I never knew you existed.” If what scripture says about God sacrificing His own Son for you, me and every billionth person on the planet, is truth; then the path will be placed in front of every person to accept or choose. Christ is either the most real, concrete commodity in the universe; or God committed the most egregious act of duplicity ever schemed. I’m betting with Coltrane.
See ya next time. ML