Under The Olive Tree

Easy Rider?

If any of you can quote Jack Nicholson in Easy Rider – then you have a better memory than I do – but then, memories tend to be less painful then the present reality.

Do you dare to challenge the status quo – however mean or reprobate? – small minded; self-aggrandizing – making a pilgrimage to dirt and stones and some edifice of patchwork and toil and suffering? – do you dare to be free? – giving what you have – freely giving all – with no expectation – and prospering in the face of adversity and loss and the spoiling of all your goods – nay; the slaughter of your most precious sacrifice by those base and reprobate souls – who without consideration or remorse waste all that is of intrinsic value.

And what of freedom? – is freedom a reality? Brother Sun and Sister Moon – the rainbow and the lover’s song – the hardened heart thus broken and become willing, sacrificial, worthy of the moment when the weak and pitiful and needy cry to him? Do you understand – like Che? – that freedom means that you can come to any point in time or space and have reserves and treasure to distribute to the poor?

Are you an Easy Rider? – or a bore? or worse? – a pitiful and little man consumed with your importance and obsessed with gain and prominence?

We will stand up! – we will raise our anthems and our songs of peace – we will embrace – we will refute your ideologies – we will confront your face and ask you to reflect on all you see when you take time to bathe your eyes in honesty – we will reject your sacraments and your dedications – we will be free to follow our ideals and prosper in our hope and in the light and sanctity of our new nation.

But wot – you say, as you begin to gender strife and hatred – all that’s left within you is to fall upon and rend and tear – no longer even seeing what is there – no longer understanding – blind and gnashing with your teeth – without discretion for the lame or halt – no mercy on the weak – for freedom’s ring is far too loud for you to take – yes, freedom and democracy are words you say but their reality you hate.

You think you can destroy the echo of the song? – it won’t be long before you understand – yes – even see; that stretching forth your hand and raising up the sword against us is futility.

No – this is not the essence of the battle often waged – No, – it is that we never compromise or accept your patronizing, wicked accolades. For by the tongue of praise is freedom sold to slavery – and only by our willing march to cruel bayonet and steel; and standing in the envelope of charity, and giving and proclaiming truth and love, are we kept free.

“Oh, they’re not scared of you – they’re scared of what you represent to them … What you represent to them is freedom … But talkin’ about it and bein’ it is two different things … I mean it’s real hard to be free when you are bought and sold in the marketplace … Of course, don’t ever tell anybody that they’re not free, cause then they gonna get real busy killing and maiming to prove to you that they are – Oh yea, they gonna talk to you and talk to you and talk to you about individual freedom – but they see a free individual it’s gonna scare ‘em … it makes ‘em dangerous …” – George Hanson, Easy Rider 1969

Our history is long; and at so many turns when choices came to open up our understanding and receive the insight of some rare appointment from above – from realms of glory – washed and cleansed and set apart – the tender mercies of a heart of love; instead, man has closed his eyes and ears – withdrawn his hand and let compassion wane – and gone about to build another tower of Babel on the plain of wickedness and disdain for all that’s good – his chosen locked stepped conformity instead of love and light and the exercise of liberty. Freedom is dangerous – you see.

Again, today we face the age old challenge – what will we as free men do? To do nothing and we lose the fight – to stand against the rising tide of what we know is far from right and true – we risk the very freedom that we have – and if we lose? – what then? – can we fail to stand and then behold ourselves and in our hearts acknowledge still that we are men – and free?

For unless we act in freedom then we most certainly cannot believe that we are truly free. If I stand up, will you then stand with me?

And how to stand? – with ranks of fighters all assembled as a band? – or speaking out with tongue, and song, and theater and pen? And then to live and if we must – die for all the freedom that we hold as men, – and free – yes – we are free.

“For ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” – Jesus of Nazareth

(to be continued)