War is the ultimate atrocity, the heart of evil.  War is the failure of civilized life, when the bonds of “common sense” between us break, the rage of the petulant child erupting in irrational destruction.  This morning I awakened to read the story of the Perebyinis family in the New York Times.  War in its manifestations from Ukraine to Hiroshima to Gettysburg is murder of the innocent, the blood stained legacy of Cain our ancestor.  The story goes that the bloody ground bore witness to Cain’s atrocity.  Here is the story of the Perebyinis family as told by the New York Post CLICK HERE.

The photo and the story has become an international symbol of what is taking place in Ukraine.

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I intended to write this morning about something beautiful, something with transcendent meaning.  So I shall.  The end of life is always at hand is it not?  Whether by accident, the result of failure to take sufficient care, or nothing other than “bad” luck, or perhaps a component of the body fails due to the passage of years… Death waits for us all. 

But, so does beauty and meaning.  The inexpressible goodness of life can be discovered/made in the time that we have here on this earth, our home.

This tune by B. J. Thomas is an example of what I mean to say. 

Rock And Roll Lullaby

By B.J. Thomas

She was just sixteen and all alone
When I came to be
So we grew up together
My mama child and me
Now things were bad and she was scared
But whenever I would cry
She’d calm my fears and dry my tears
With a rock and roll lullaby

And she’d sing sha na na na na na na na na
It’ll be all right
Sha na na na na na na na na na
Just hold on tight
Sing it to me mama, mama mama mama
Sing it sweet and clear
Oh, mama let me hear that old rock and roll lullaby

Now, we made it through the lonely days
But Lord the nights were long
And we’d dream of better moments
When mama sang her song
Now I can’t recall the words at all
It don’t make sense to try
‘Cause I just knew lots of love came through
In that rock and roll lullaby

And she’d sing sha na na na na na na na na
It’ll be all right
Sha na na na na na na na na na
Just hold on tight
I can hear you mama, mama mama mama
Nothing moves my soul
Like the sound of a good old rock and roll lullaby

It’ll be alright
Just hold on tight
Mama, mama, mama
Nothing moves my soul
Like the sound of a good old rock and roll lullaby
It’ll be alright
Just hold on tight
Sing it sweet and clear

Lyrics by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil