There are certain songs that not only embody a particular idea, but also capture for the listener the spirit of its time. So when most of us think of classic 70s disco-funk, our minds often drift to Curtis Mayfield, Sly & The Family Stone, Earth Wind & Fire, or similar artists. But my mind immediately goes first to this song, the blistering opener from his classic recording, This Is Another Day.
It’s a bit of stretch for me to call this a song from my era, since I was born the year this song was released and didn’t come to appreciate it until I was seven or eight. But given that my parents had the good sense to play edifying music around the house instead of songs like “Lady Marmalade” and “It’s Raining Men,” I learned how to groove and shimmy to this one instead.
And man, I’m glad they did.
Andrae Crouch, eight-time Grammy award-winning artist and gospel music pioneer
One of the things that I love about this song is the use of sonorous contrast. When the intro comes in, sounding all smooth and dangerous and Shaft-like (come on, you know I wasn’t sheltered my whole life), the whole groove is rooted in C# minor, and as all of the wah-wah guitars and percolating percussion and cascading horns come to a crescendo, the melody kicks in – not in its relative major of E, but up a whole step to F# major.
What results (for those of you turned off by the music theory geek speak) is a sense of unexpected discovery that underscores the title. In the middle of a furious musical maelstrom, the melody lands softly onto a pleasant musical bed, like a baby sleeping soundly in the eye of a hurricane. And as the melody winds its way through the chord progression, the musical cues lend a sense of depth and pathos by reinforcing its meaning.
And considering its meaning, it’s no wonder this song was released in 1976. This was the same era of classics like Stevie Wonder’sSongs In the Key of Life and Steely Dan’sAja. This was a tumultuous time in American history. The Cold War was beginning to thaw. The OPEC oil embargo had a crippling effect on the economy. The war in Vietnam had been raging for years, and Marvin Gaye’s“What’s Going On” had become a rallying cry for a generation of disenfranchised people tired of systemic inequity and senseless violence. There was turmoil abroad and turmoil at home.
(Not all that different from now, is it?)
When Andrae and his singers echoed the words of Isaiah 26:3 – You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You – it wasn’t just a pleasant sentiment to be displayed on someone’s desk or refrigerator door. They were fiercely proclaiming Jesus’ promise to supernaturally uphold his children in the midst of life-threatening storms.
So for me as an adult, “Perfect Peace” is no longer just an exercise in nostalgia or an instructive in how to craft a funky tune, though it surely works as both. For me, it’s a reminder to trust God and don an essential piece of His full armor, one that allows me to walk freely in His plans, despite my fear of the unknown. I can put on my headphones and, for at least a few minutes, relax, knowing that God’s got this whole future thing on lock.
So break out your afro wigs and your platform shoes, and then crank up your speakers this classic gospel throwback. You can get it on Amazon MP3 here, and don’t forget to check out this incredible Norwegian cover here.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO VOLUNTARY AGENCIES RESPONDING TO DISASTERS IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO HELP
Cash allows disaster agencies to purchase exactly what is needed.
To make a financial gift to the organization of your choice, dial 2-1-1 (or 1-866-485-0211) for a list of reputable agencies responding to the disaster.
Member agencies of Colorado Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster does not promote one charity over another. Please donate to a charity of your choice. At this time, the following charities are responding to multiple wildfires in Colorado.
Agencies Responding to Boulder Fire:
American Red Cross
1-800 RED CROSS
444 Sherman St.
Denver, CO 80203
(designate to the Boulder Fire) www.coloradoredcross.org
Agencies Responding to Waldo Fire:
American Red Cross
1-800 RED CROSS
444 Sherman St.
Denver, CO 80203
(designate to the Waldo Fire) www.coloradoredcross.org
The Salvation Army 303-866-9216 1370 Pennsylvania Ave. Denver, CO 80132 www.imsalvatoinarmy.org
Designate to Disaster Relief
Agencies Responding to High Park Fire:
American Red Cross
1-800 RED CROSS
444 Sherman St.
Denver, CO 80203
(designate to the Northern Colorado Chapter-High Park Fire) www.coloradoredcross.org
The Salvation Army 303-866-9216 1370 Pennsylvania Ave. Denver, CO 80132 www.imsalvatoinarmy.org
Designate to Disaster Relief
Larimer Humane Society 5137 S. College Ave. Fort Collins, CO 80525 www.larimerhumane.org
Adventist Community Services LIFT www.acslift.org Note in comments that donation is for High Park Fire
Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department
Donations can be mailed to:
RCVFD-Treasurer
PO Box 2
Glacier View Volunteer Fire Department
Please send financial donations in the form of a check to: 1414 Green Mountain, Livermore CO 80536
Poudre Canyon Volunteer Fire DepartmentMail donations to:
Poudre Canyon Volunteer Fire Department
PO Box 364 LaPorte, CO 80535-0364The local Canyon Utilities is helping by taking credit card donations over the phone, please dial (970) 881-2262.
VOLUNTEERING
DO NOT GO TO THE SCENE OF A DISASTER
The arrival of unexpected volunteers will interfere with response efforts.
STAY SAFE by volunteering with a reputable agency!
Volunteers will be needed most during the recovery phase. Please be patient and WAIT until relief agencies can train you and use your help.
Please Click here to sign up to volunteer and list in the ‘Comments’ section the name of the fire you would like to give your time to. If a volunteer need is identified, you will be contacted by the agency that can utilize your skills.
A limited number of volunteer opportunities have been identified to assist at the Donations Collection Center for the High Park Fire. Shifts are from 7:45am-12:00pm, 11:45am-4:00pm, 3:45pm-8:00pm everyday of the week. In the ‘Comments’ section, please list your availability (date and desired shift). Please wait for the Donations Collection Center representative to contact you to schedule you for a shift- do not self deploy to the Donations Collection Center.
To make a financial contribution to the organization of your choice, please dial 2-1-1 (or 1-866-485-0211 ) for a list of reputable agencies responding to disasters in Colorado.
Superhero Mayor: Newark Mayor Cory Booker saves neighbor from fiery blaze.
A “come to Jesus moment” is how the mayor of Newark, New Jersey, Cory Booker, described the experience of saving his neighbor from a fiery blaze last night. “I feel a sense of gratitude today to God that I’m here and still feeling kind of like I had my proverbial ‘come to Jesus’ moment in my life,” Booker said at a press conference today.
The New Jersey Star-Leger reported that the fire started “shortly before the mayor arrived home after a television interview” last night and that “five people were taken to the hospital for treatment: the mayor, a woman from the house and three members of his security detail.” Booker was treated for smoke inhalation and second-degree burns to his hand. The neighbor was listed in stable condition this morning at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, New Jersey, with burns to her back and neck, according to The Star-Ledger.
Booker said he did not feel “bravery,” but “terror” when he thought he might not find the woman or get out of the house alive, even though he had pulled rank on the security detail who tried to stop him from executing a citizen rescue. “I really feel thankful to God, because just when I was falling down, trying to find somewhere to breathe, I finally heard her and found an opening where I could grab her,” Booker said. “Today is a surreal day for me. Everything has taken on a sense of depth to it. I think sometimes the biggest gratitude in life is to be able to put your feet on the ground and look at the world and say I’m still here. I’m very, very happy that this family that’s been so good to me over the years, that they’re all safe and sound.”
In response to the mayor’s heroism, The Atlantic published a “Super Mayor” quiz, Mashable posted a funny superhero mashup, and a Twitter meme broke out under the hashtag #corybookerstories. It included tweets like: “When Chuck Norris has nightmares, Cory Booker turns on the light & sits with him until he falls back asleep,” by @MilesGrant, “Cory Booker doesn’t tap into the Force, the Force taps into Cory Booker,” by @LordPalpatine, and “After the incident, Smoke was treated for Cory Booker exposure,” by @ZandarVTS.
I added my own tweet, which said, “@CoryBooker stopped to pick up my pen after delivering State of the City 2012, LOL.” It was no joke. I took note of the mayor’s kindness in the midst of the rollicking public event at which I conducted an on-the-fly interview with him for UrbanFaith because it struck me as a demonstration of habitual, unconscious selflessness when he did it. The parable of the faithful and unfaithful servants in Matthew 25: 14-28 came to mind then and again this morning when I heard news of his heroism. In the parable, the servant who has been faithful in the small things is affirmed by the Lord and put in charge of many. This is one more Cory Booker story that makes me wonder what God has in store for the passionate, energetic mayor of Newark—especially now that he’s lived through what he describes as a real-life “come to Jesus” moment.
