What is the true cost of freedom?

A VIEW FROM THE BACK PEW

By Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt

I HAVE RECENTLY been swamped by a wave of nostalgia.

It is not a simple reflection of the past being the “good old days”. The moment that triggered memories of more than half a century ago was when I was reading a sports column in our newspaper (the paper version, NOT the one online), that reported the death of Bernie Parent.

When I was attending high school in Philadelphia the city was enthralled by the exploits of the Broad Street Bullies. Led by goalie, Bernie Parent, the Philadelphia Flyers won the Stanley Cup in 1974 and 1975. I was one of the crowd that watched the Stanley Cup Parade in those years. An unforgettable moment occurred when the car that Parent was riding in, as it led the parade, turned a corner and as it did so, the crowd, which was easily measured in the thousands, fell silent. Then, as Bernie raised his arms as a sign of victory, the crowd went wild!

As I witnessed this remarkable moment, I looked at a banner which was hanging nearby. It simply read: "Only the Lord Saves More than Bernie Parent”

As the mental newsreels of the past generate other memories of those days, many of the highlights involve me being part of large crowds. In 1970, I joined with thousands of people who filled the Ben Franklin Parkway (a street known to the viewers of the first “Rocky” movie as the hero finishes his run and looks back across the city). We raised our voices and demonstrated for action to be taken to curb climate change and to call for everyone to do a better job of caring for our planet Earth. It was a moment with a positive message, a clarion call to action filled with hope and joy.

Less joyful were those moments where the crowds around me were filled with people who were both angry and anxious. The Vietnam War touched the lives of many people. Nightly newscasts brought the war into our homes with a newfound immediacy in journalism which meant that there was an inescapable emotional effect as we watched bombs being dropped and bamboo huts being set on fire with the flick of a soldier’s cigarette lighter. The loss of life in a far off country became a reality in our lives on a daily basis.

I vividly remember being part of a choir who offered Faure`s Requiem while an open casket sat in the middle of a church where people placed the names of lost ones and prayer requests as together we prayed for peace.

Then, as now, we were reminded of the words of Jesus who said, “The time is coming when you will hear the noise of battle near at hand and the news of battles far away…”. (St. Matthew 24:6 - NEB). When it felt like the world was crashing in all around us, Jesus went on to say, “see that you are not alarmed”.

It is difficult to NOT be alarmed in today’s world. As our global village lurches from crisis to crisis there are those who seek to lower their blood pressure readings and find ways to cope with the day-to-day challenges of life. Through highs and lows the gift of music has been a constant blessing. Songs I remember outside of worship experience always seemed to find a way to convey concerns which resonated with my own state of mind. Artists expressed through their words and melodies, emotions which seemed to reflect my own reality.

There were individuals who re-worded a Pete Seeger folk song and asked the question:

How many deaths will it take ’til we know,
that too many people have died?
The answer my friends, is blowing in the wind.
The answer is blowing in the wind.

In his song, “What’s Going’ On?”, Marvin Gaye’s voiced the thoughts of many people. I take the liberty of editing his words for brevity:

Mother, There’s too many of you crying.
Brother, There’s too many of you dying.
You know we’ve got to find a way.
To bring some loving here today.
Father, We don’t need to escalate.
You see, war is not the answer
For only Love can conquer hate.
You know, we’ve got to find a way
To bring some loving here today

In an iconic cultural moment known as Woodstock, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young challenged everyone to reflect on the true cost of freedom with the words:

Find the Cost of Freedom, buried in the ground.
Mother earth will swallow you. Lay your burden down.

The large public protests clamouring for change and crying out for peace seem to me to be moments I remember as events of the past. Meaningful messages conveyed through songs which have stood the test of time are deeply imbedded in my memory.

Fortunately, when crowds gather it is not always at moments of crisis. Our own Diocesan Family welcomed the Canadian House of Bishops to share in our Sesquicentennial celebration. We travelled from every parish in the Diocese of Huron to meet to worship at the Labatt Centre in London. We saw in that moment that we do not live out our Christian Faith in the Anglican tradition isolated in our own congregations. We celebrated the fact that the carved wooden Cross which was at the service had been in every parish during the previous year. It is a link for all of us even as it now has its place on the wall in our Cathedral. It is a moment which also has its message shaped in the music and words of the hymn:

Lift High the Cross, the Love of Christ Proclaim
’til all the World adores His sacred Name.

In this troubled world we are reminded of our mission and the joy - filled message that is ours to share. May that continue to be true in your life and mine.

Rev. Canon Christopher B. J. Pratt has retired from full-time parish ministry but continues to offer priestly ministry in the Diocese.
chrispratt@diohuron.org

Photo: Angela Loria/Unsplash