Our false oracles have failed. We need a new vision to live by

The Times of London ^ | October 20, 2008 | Ben Okri

[cricket]

These oracles he speaks of, are the gods of Marxism and this man 'still' believes. He imagines an enlightenment, whiles suffering classic Marxist myopia - and the shallowness of thinking, that goes with it.

An altogether, empty sharing here.

[AfricanChristian]

I disagree.

Can’t you see the references to Christianity?

[cricket]

Will reread and check back. Interpreting a matter of one’s ‘lights’ and so there is much in Bible that ‘speaks’ to Marxism, if one is so inclined, and thus the Bible is ‘used and abused’ -and misconstrued - by those needing to do just that. Whether Marixst or not, for that matter.

[GOPJ]

LOL - well, the subject matter at hand seems to call for ‘the Future’ - but “I’m Your Man” is great too - or better yet, Hallelujah...

[GOPJ]

LOL - well, the subject matter at hand seems to call for ‘the Future’ - but I like “I’m Your Man” too - or better yet, “Hallelujah”.

[Deb]

“Hallelujah” is wonderful, but “If It Be Thy Will”, written during Cohen’s days in the monastery, has me in tears every time I hear it. “The Future” scares me.

[GOPJ]

If it be your will? Here's some commentary from his newest book (Leonard Cohen - Poems and Songs ) - by Robert Faggen:

In the prayer "if It Be Your Will" it is hard not to be stunned by a stanza that builds from a parallel but disturbing conditional line to three joyous exhortations and then falls to an enjambed line with a terrifying vision of suffering:

If it be your will

if there is a choice,

let the rivers fill,

let the hills rejoice.

Let your mercy spill

on all these burning hearts in hell,

if it be your will

to make us well.

No less remarkable are the lines in the next stanza, "in our rags of light,/all dressed to kill,". These lines like so many in Cohen , are searingly bright with the clarity of madness. They heal and tear asunder and heal again. And they keep us listening.

[Deb]

"...the clarity of madness". Wow. That exactly defines Cohen's work.

I caught his live show recently and I have no idea how a man his age has the stamina to perform for so many hours and then do endless encores. It was fantastic. Of course, he did collapse in Europe, but then continued on. Amazing.