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Sunday, 2 May 2004
Truth and Lies ::
Over the last ten days, I saw a concert, heard a CD, had two evangelicals at my doorstep, and saw a film. There was a common thread involving truth, religion, and lies.
My old Red Letter bandmates and I drove to the Oneida Indian-owned Turning Stone Casino (Verona, NY) on Earth Day (Apr. 22) to see Todd Rundgren and the Liars (Kasim Sulton, Prairie Prince, Jesse Gress, John Ferenzik). Kind of surreal, no? (as Rich noted.) [ Other concertgoers’ reviews ]. The high points for me were “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” several of the tracks from TR’s latest record (more below),” “For the Want of a Nail, “and “Just One Victory” (as always). It was great to see my old mates, and it was great to see TR still at it. (It’s been almost 25 years since I first saw him live.)
Visiting backstage, we saw the contents of a wrapped package Todd took from a fan during the show. It contained a crucifix, a crown of thorns about the size of my pinky, and a book about the dangers of embracing any belief system other than Christianity. TR’s music, going back at least as far as A Wizard, A True Star (1973) has often been an expression of his own understanding of the Way (for lack of better words), but, to these ears, he’s always encouraged the listener to seek his own understanding, never promoting a specific belief system beyond the idea that there is something larger than us, something through which we are all connected.
I can imagine the frustration of some Christians that TR tries to express truth without using any of the words or concepts they attach to it—except, when he does make references to Christianity, in songs like “Mammon,” “Fascist Christ,” and “God Said” (all in this tour’s set list), the subject is how some interpret their beliefs as justification for self-serving, harmful actions.
Liars arrived last Tuesday. From the CD booklet:
All of these songs are about a paucity of truth. At first they may seem to be about other things, but that is just a reflection of how much dishonesty we have accepted into our daily lives. We are raised from birth to believe things that cannot be proven or that are plainly not true. People will often brag of their honesty, when there is so much they have simply chosen to ignore or leave unexamined.
The fact is, we are terrified of the truth.
Lyrically this is perhaps my favorite album he’s ever done. The opening track, “Truth” expresses a determination to seek truth at all costs, and the closer, “Liars,” is a no-holds-barred rant against both Islamic extremists and the Bush administration, both of whom place their ideology above human life. In between he challenges ideas about spirituality, relationships between men and women, time, and more. Musically, Todd both shows us that he can take any style he wants and make it his own; this album is almost all synths and samples under the vocals. He recycles some of his favorite chords and angles here and there, but they’re some of my favorites too.
On Saturday morning there was a knock at my door. When I opened it to see two well-dressed men in their thirties, I knew in a flash they were on a mission from Jesus. My ex told me once that her dad said he’d invite evangelicals in to hear about his religion, they’d say they weren’t interested in his religion, and he’d say “exactly” and close the door. But when the men asked me if I’d heard about Jesus and the Bible, and I said yes, they asked me what I thought, so I told them.
It was one of those conversations where the words I wished to use came to me an hour later, but in brief, I told them yes, I’d read and even studied the Bible, I believe in universal truth and that Jesus may have been an fine example of it, but that I did not find modern Christianity’s interpretations and conceptions useful in communicating it to others. In Christian terms, I might say that I place a far greater importance on my personal relationship with God than anything anyone says or writes. In practical terms, it seems the truth is always right underneath my feet. May I remember to look.
Saturday night I saw Monsieur Ibrahim, about a Turkish storekeeper who befriends a Jewish young man in 1960's Paris. The film’s been out for awhile and the full title contains a big hint about the moment of truth at the end, so—stop reading if you don’t like spoilers. Early on, we learn that Ibrahim is a Sufi. Several times, Ibrahim says something wise, Moses asks how he knows that, and Ibrahim smiles and says, “it’s in my Koran.” At the end we see that in his Koran are two pressed flowers.
References:
Who Cares About the Truth? (11 September 2004)
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