Lyle Lovett is some kind of genius

This afternoon I listened to Willie Nelson's cover of "If I Were the Man You Wanted" (on Across the Borderline) and was again struck by Lyle Lovett's remarkable poetic craftsmanship. Consider the song's titular refrain:

If the stars didn't shine on the water, (a)
then the sun wouldn't burn on the sand; (b)
And if I were the man you wanted, (b')
I would not be the man that I am. (a')

The two lines are parallel in structure: both follow an "if, then" structure ("then" is ellided [omitted for style] in the second line) in which a contrary-to-fact condition results in the negation of the present state of affairs. Thematically, however, they form a chiasm (a poetic device whereby elements repeat and mirror one another). In the first line, an undesirable condition produces a desirable outcome; in the second, a desirable condition produces an undesirable outcome. Lovett plays form against theme to create a highly memorable refrain.

Plus, it's a wonderfully snarky observation, as only the best of country music lyrics can be.

The duty & honor belonging to equals

I've been preparing sermons on the Shorter Catechism's exposition of the 5th Commandment (#63-66), and have been thinking this may be one of the most neglected commandments in today's Church. It seems to me little to no thought is given to honoring others in today's narcissistic, Oprah-fueled-self-affirming culture at large, and, in the Church in particular, many adult members seem to forget their duty to honor children as equally members of Christ's body. Over at the First Things website, Beth Samuelson has an essay with any number of pointed observations on this subject. Her concluding paragraphs put the matter quite nicely.

I have seen many evangelical church services in central Africa and other parts of the non-Western world during which toddlers occasionally roam the aisles or even wander up to the pulpit before being scooped up by a parent or older sibling. Infants who start to cry are quickly carried outside. These small disruptions are scarcely noticed. I wonder, sadly, how churches in North American seem to have strayed so far from the fundamental recognition that children are a special gift from God and our collective responsibility. During his earthly life, Christ made it abundantly clear that he does not consider small children a nuisance. The sanctity of the worship service is not diminished by their presence. In fact, without them, the Body of Christ is not complete.

When we are old, let’s hope that our grown-up children don’t conclude that caring for the elderly is just another lifestyle choice. When I am ninety years old, I might have a tendency to make clicking sounds with my dentures, insist on bringing my old afghan to keep my knees warm, be slightly forgetful, and speak out at the wrong moments in the service. I hope, however, that I still will be welcome in church and not exiled to the chapel of a senior center or nursing home. I fear though, that the children of today who grow up with so little experience of the weekly gatherings of the church community (including Bible study) with all their human noise and inconvenience, will see no reason why they should tolerate the presence of the vulnerable elderly any more than they should tolerate the presence of the very young.

More proof hereditary monarchy degrades morals

The incidence of injury from drunken pub brawls in England is so high that the government there funded the development of shatter-proof pint glasses.