Father's Day Songs

A couple of songs by secular artists have been on my mind the last few days.  The first song, Harry Chapin's "Cat in a Cradle," is a haunting message for fathers of all ages.  The second is a song dialogue between a father and a daughter, Tori Amos' "Winter."  Pay close attention to the words.  The imagery is beautiful.  

WINTER

Snow can wait

I forgot my mittens

Wipe my nose

Get my new boots on

I get a little warm in my heart

When I think of winter

I put my hand in my father's glove

I run off

Where the drifts get deeper

Sleeping beauty trips me with a frown

I hear a voice

"You must learn to stand up for yourself

Cause I can't always be around"

He says

When you gonna make up your mind

When you gonna love you as much as I do

When you gonna make up your mind

Cause things are gonna change so fast

All the white horses are still in bed

I tell you that I'll always want you near

You say that things change my dear

Boys get discovered as winter melts

Flowers competing for the sun

Years go by and I'm here still waiting 

Withering where some snowman was

Mirror mirror where's the crystal palace

But I only can see the myself

Skating around the truth who I am

But I know dad the ice is getting thin

When you gonna make up your mind

When you gonna love you as much as I do

When you gonna make up your mind

Cause things are gonna change so fast

All the white horses are still in bed

I tell you that I'll always want you near

You say that things change my dear

Hair is grey

And the fires are burning

So many dreams

On the shelf

You say I wanted you to be proud of me

I always wanted that myself

He says

When you gonna make up your mind

When you gonna love you as much as I do

When you gonna make up your mind

Cause things are gonna change so fast

All the white horses have gone ahead

I tell you that I'll always want you near

You say that things change

My dear

The Shadows of a Cave or the Reality of Home?

One of the most famous illustrations in the philosophical world is Plato's allegory of the cave.  At the beginning of Book VII of The Republic, he describes a group of prisoners who for their entire lives have been chained to the blank wall of a cave.  These people watch shadows projected on the wall by people and things that pass in front of fire that is behind them, near the entrance of the cave.

In this dialogue, Plato suggests that these shadows are the closest these prisoners ever get to reality.  However, he goes on to explain that a philosopher is like a prisoner who is freed from the cave and who comes to understand that the wall shadows do not make up reality at all.  According to Plato, the philosopher can see what is really real!

The Bible comes close to making some of the same points.  For instance, Hebrews 10:1 says, "The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming--not the realities themselves."  That is why Christ "has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself" (9:26).  Doesn't the Apostle Paul talk about how we can be freed from the illusion and delusion of sin?  And when the prodigal son "came to himself"--when he quit being fooled by the shadows and saw life and especially his father as they really were--he humbly returned home.

The singing group, Switchfoot, evokes this same imagery in their song, "Home."

It's a long way from the shadows in my cave
Up to Your reality
To watch the sunlight taking over, over
Taking over
Take me over

I've been poison, I've been rain
I've been fooled again
I've seen ashes shine like chrome
Someday I'll see home