"The View Beyond The Balcony" by Randy Weeks
Every Independence Day I post a music video of the song “I See America”* by Ken Medema on my Facebook page. Medema is a blind pianist/singer/songwriter who excels at improvisation. I was utterly amazed when I heard his work in person decades ago.
Medema was given the topic of the speaker’s message just before going on stage. He then performed about a 10-minute improvisation that wove multiple ideas and musical styles that at first seemed unrelated, but in the end, he brought everything together in a powerful and poignant point that greatly emphasized the speaker’s message. To nearly all of us there, that was a magnificent jaw-dropping experience. He did that twice a day for five days straight.
Medema, a progressive Christian, often sings about social justice and equality. In “I See America,” he creates a clear and balanced approach between the freedoms we have, the achievements of Americans, and the shortcomings we still need to address.
Medema sings of the natural beauty of our land while noting the environmental hazards we’ve created in the process. He sings of the pilgrims who immigrated from their home countries in search of liberty. Medema praises our inventiveness in industry while reminding us that children still play in dirty streets, “where no one seems to care.” He points out the many privileges that have been fought for and won throughout our history, while reminding us that tyranny is not yet dead. He does all this through the eyes of love.
I See America through the eyes of love.
I long for all her people to be free.
To see America through the eyes of love means we must practice compassion in all our ways. It means that we see all people as equal under the law. It means that we actively seek justice day by day by day by day by day.
As we all know, America was built on the concept of liberty and freedom. The revolutionaries sought and gained those. Still, many were enslaved and mistreated in that new nation. Women could not vote. Indigenous peoples could not vote. African Americans, Asians, indentured servants, and slaves could not vote.
And if you see, put your hand to the plow,
There is work that must be done…
Great strides have been made toward making our nation even more free for every person who calls America home. We must remember, though, that first Americans were driven from their land and most of them still live in poverty on reservations. Poverty itself still plagues us in the forms of homelessness, food insecurity, and unjust wages. Predjudices regarding race, gender, religion, and political differences abound. Tyranny lives on.
‘til freedom’s song is sung,
‘til freedom’s bell is rung,
From sea to shining sea.
While freedom has been won, not everyone hears freedom’s song. Not everyone hears freedom’s bell ring. We must continue the work of our founders. Thomas Jefferson wrote, “God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion.” Jefferson was saying that Americans should regularly rebel against unjust causes, leaders, policies, and laws. He wasn’t calling for anarchy; rather, he was telling us that if we the people don’t rebel against injustice, oligarchy, or a monarchy, we could very well lose our freedoms, leading to the fall of our nation.
As we celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday, we have every reason to be exuberant. In that exuberance, let us not only praise the multitude of freedoms we have and those who gave their lives for them, but let us also remember that there are many imperfections and injustices that we must continue to address and seek to solve. Yes, there is work that still must be done. There always will be. But I contend that if we see America through the eyes of love as blind Ken Medema does, well, she may just last another 250 years.
…and that’s the View from Beyond the Balcony.
Randy Weeks is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Certified Shamanic Life Coach, an ordained minister, singer-songwriter, actor, writer, and a former triathlete. He does his best to see America and Americans through the eyes of love. Randy may be reached at: randallsweeks@gmail.com
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