Summer slipped in rather softly last week; soft breezes, gentle rain, and lighter schedules. Temperatures were nowhere near record-breaking as summer slipped in. It was almost as if summer didn’t want to shove spring out too abruptly. Summertime is viewed in many ways; Two popular summer songs take almost opposite views of summer: Louis Armstrong takes a leisurely, lilting, enticing view—something of the iconic unhurried pace of Southern society; as in, whatever we missed on this tide, we’ll catch on the next.
Summertime
And the livin’ is easy
Fish are jumpin’
And the cotton is high—By Louis Armstrong
On the other hand, the Lovin’ Spoonfuls jump right into the sweltering, steamy, summer; the rushed pace of civilization, hurried travelers, traffic sounds, heat, hurry, and hints of hope of companionship—they all are there;
Hot town, summer in the city
Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty
Been down, isn’t it a pity?
Doesn’t seem to be a shadow in the city
All around, people looking half dead
Walking on the sidewalk, hotter than a match head–by the Lovin’ Spoonfuls
We human beings are created as social beings. From the beginning, companionship was the design in humanity. Summer is the season exemplar of being together.
James Weldon Johnson, over a hundred years ago poetically penned the essence of a longing and essential design in human hearts. God contemplating Creation, Johnson wrote—And God looked around and said, “I’ll make me a world…” After that, God said, “I’m lonely still…” and he stooped down and got some clay in his hands, and shaped it into a man…and then created a woman, and said, “That is good..” (The RWV—Revised Willis Version—with apologies to Reverend Johnson.)
This summer, 2023, is the first summer since 2019, that is anywhere close to a “normal” summer. Families are gathering for vacations at home and away. Swimming pools, rivers, travel plans, and lakes are crowded, and suntan lotion is lathered lavishly on sun-soaked skin. So in a measure, both Armstrong’s and the Lovin’ Spoonfuls’ songs echo the spirit of summer.
The thoughts of families being drawn together reminds me of one of my favorite love stories in the Bible. Essentially it lays the foundation for the birth of Jesus. More about that later. The loving sacrifice of two women, Ruth and Naomi detail family and blended family relationships growing into remarkably rich survival and visionary results.
Then, comes that other wonderfully strange and unique love story we all love; Joseph and Mary. Against all odds this lowly couple from an obscure village, not only survived all adversity, but also gave the world a transforming turning point.
The New Testament is skinny on how Jesus and his twelve disciples spent their summers, nor any other leisure time. Nevertheless, on a number of occasions, Jesus admonished the twelve to come away and rest; no indication of summertime in the picture. Nevertheless, Jesus recognized the value in what his father did.(you remember him, don’t you?); On the last day of creating the earth, God rested. Go thou and do likewise. Summer offers that opportunity. I’m just sayin’.
©Copyright Willis H. Moore 2023