I've always loved this title, and only known it from a short-story collection by Flannery O'Connor. But in one of those mysterious coincidences that make life so interesting, or at least more interesting than anything else I know, when I did a little research I found its original source (Oh, wait, that's redundant, innit, like "safe harbor?"), Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. I don't know about you, but I was completely unfamiliar with him; the two spiritual seekers in my home were not. Turns out he was a Jesuit priest, likely developed the concept of the noosphere (oh, Google it yourself), and imagined what he called the "Omega Point," which is the point at which everything that rises converges:
Remain true to yourself, but move ever upward toward
greater consciousness and greater love! At the summit
you will find yourself united with all those who, from
every direction, have made the same ascent. For every-
thing that rises must converge.
In March of 1955, de Chardin expressed to friends his wish to die on Easter. Be careful what you wish for--or not; on April 10, 1955, Easter Sunday, de Chardin got into "a lively discussion with friends," had a heart attack, and died at age 73. And I'm writing this on Easter Sunday, wanting to talk about risings. Cue spooky music.
Wednesday, April 22, 1970 America celebrated its first Earth Day. In a decade in which all kinds of consciousnesses had been raised, we finally acknowledged what we had been doing to the planet for generations and resolved to begin the task of rectifying the damage, of resurrecting the clean nation and planet we'd been given. I was a Junior in High School then (yeah, it had been invented), and rather than going to classes, the entire student body was out combing the roadsides throughout the district, picking up the trash thrown there by thoughtless, ignorant people (many of them us). Oh, there were signs, and posters, and great fervor and resolve throughout the land to
SAVE THE EARTH!!!
leading to the passage of such legislation as the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts, which did result in, well, cleaner water and air. But most of us continued to litter, and to be wasteful, and, worst of all, to continue creating carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, leading us to the Climate Change we're in the early stages of, although most of us either actively deny that, like the Koch Brothers and many of our political "leaders," or implicitly deny it by not changing our habits and lifestyles (guilty as charged). It's gonna be sooommme ugly, methinks. And why are we in this predicament? Because these greenhouse gases are lighter than air, and thus rise and, as you've learned already, if you've been paying attention, Everything that rises must converge.
And today, of course, is the day that Christians and those interested in the spiritual, or in myths in general, celebrate a death-defying act, the rise from the tomb of Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior to many in the world. And if He is risen, where is His point of convergence? Is he up there with His Dad, hacking and coughing from all of the crap we're spewing up there at 'em? I'll bet they're gettin' pissed....
On Tuesday, then, Earth Day XLIV--hey, the NFL hasn't copywrited the use of Roman Numerals (and doesn't that look a lot like it would be pronounced "ex-live," or "formerly alive?" Just sayin'....), these songs about earth and rising:
Back To The Earth Rusted Root
Blood Of The Earth Friends Of Dean Martinez
Earth Died Screaming Tom Waits
The Earth Wants You Mose Allison
Ends Of The Earth Dirty Three
Here On Earth Ben Arnold
Here On Earth (I'll Have My Cake) Crash Test Dummies
Humans From Earth T-Bone Burnett
Mother Earth Dave Alvin
Mother Earth Tom Rush
Mother Earth Tracy Nelson
Mother Earth (Natural Anthem) Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth Neko Case
Ol' Mother Earth Tony Joe White
Railroad Earth Railroad Earth
Salt Of The Earth Rolling Stones
This Bitter Earth Etta James
This Island Earth Jonathan Edwards
Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) Marvin Gaye
Dreamers On The Rise John Stewart
I'll Rise Ben Harper
I'll Rise Again David Bromberg
I Will Rise Up/Ain't No More Cane Lyle Lovett &His Large Band
Rise Josh Rouse
Rise To The Sun Alabama Shakes
Rise Up With Fists!!! Jenny Lewis/Watson Twins
The Rising Bruce Springsteen
Rising In Love Michael Nesmith
The Rising Sun George Harrison
Tuesday, noon till two on WOOL FM, 91.5, or WOOL.fm.
Don't look up....
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