Our American Pie [1] is usually thought of as an abundance of property and wealth. I say our American Pie is the brilliant mind who constantly work to honor God and humanity and thus promote the greater good of society.
I pray constantly that my own culture and myself would repent of our failing our most precious commodity: Our youth.
For three generations our church and society as a whole lost our way. We forgot our God and turned to false worship and a terrible false, ungodly life.
Fathers were terrified of the lack of homeland security and often lost their spirit and hope. Mother's crumbled under the weight and stress of keeping proper appearances. Sadly, children always know the problems before the adults.
By the 1960's our youth were sadly driven to search for meaning, love, and a reason to survive. They not only sang their hearts out, but smoked, injected, inhaled, and swallowed every poison they could find. Our society was so horrified by world events and threats, our churches desperately tried to fill the void with programs, gimmicks, and sensational hip church. We lost the most precious of our talents, genius, preachers; we lost American Pie.
Worship needed to be different from this world. Worship in a supreme Creator needed to be unique and set apart from the current world trends. Worship did not help but encouraged the desperation. When worship mirrors the world, it is not a place that worships God.
I still grieve for Jimmy Hendrix who was known to be a kind and gentle genius poet and musician. He was a true pioneer and trailblazer for a new generation of artist. The Doors and lead singer Jim Morrison had the vocals of angels with brilliant, classical elements in their music that will always stand the test of time; their lives ended before their lives began. Janis Joplin gave her life to teach us what destroys hope and what we can do to help heal others, but there was no healing for her. We as a society, church, and culture, still did not hear their cries for help, but we were well entertained and even today, we rush to enjoy legalized marijuana so we can avoid daily responsibilities of child-rearing and life.
For centuries, artist and performers have fell victim to substance abuse or threatening lifestyle. The demands of the life of selflessness without Creator is always impossible. The very act of pouring out one's spirit, soul, and very identity, is completely exhausting. Even artist who believe and trust in a supreme Creator often find the life too difficult. Artists who are alone in life with no loving upbringing or understanding how very precious they are to a trustworthy and benevolent God will always find a fatal end.
Where did we go wrong in the 1950-1960's that robbed our children and our grandchildren of the love and security every human needs? Why do children lack trust in adult supervision or adult influence?
What can be done to help those who are drawn to a life of crime and show them another way of life? Children today are so drawn, attracted to the power of crime that they have no one who can intercede. All I know to say is, 'God, Oh God have mercy and help us all.'
Where did we leave Jesus? Let's go find Him.
If we ask, Jesus will help us fix our errors.
After all, the Creator is a perfectly loving and trustworthy God who never needs marijuana.
