{"id":437,"date":"2012-12-13T18:21:34","date_gmt":"2012-12-13T23:21:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/truthsyoucanuse\/?p=437"},"modified":"2012-12-13T22:23:15","modified_gmt":"2012-12-14T03:23:15","slug":"the-wisdom-of-the-beatles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/truthsyoucanuse\/2012\/12\/the-wisdom-of-the-beatles.html","title":{"rendered":"The Spiritual Wisdom of the Beatles"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A favorite song to accompany brides down the wedding aisle is the Beatles’ \u201cIn My Life.\u201d It\u2019s a song about the past meeting the present. It\u2019s a song about how the singer has been formed by all his past experiences in life.<\/p>\n

Consider the lyrics: \u201cThere are places I remember all my life, though some have changed. Some forever, not for better. Some have gone, and some remain. All these places had their moments. With lovers and friends, I still can recall. Some our dead and some are living. In my life, I\u2019ve loved them all.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Journey of Love<\/strong><\/p>\n

Of course, the point of the song is that all those experiences pale in comparison to the feeling of love he has now. Yet, part of the beauty and attraction of the song for many is the recognition that we are the result of our experiences in life. They shape us. They never leave.<\/p>\n

As Faulkner put it, \u201cThe past is never dead. It’s not even past.” Our lives are journeys shaped by the roads we have taken.<\/p>\n

The Journey of Faith<\/strong><\/p>\n

Now in the Beatles song, the goal, the end point of the journey, is love of a particular person. For people of faith, the goal of the journey is a life of growth, of wisdom, of love of knowledge, truth and humanity. Ultimately, the goal is to learn and live by God\u2019s ways, which, as the prophet Micah put it, are \u201cto do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy god.\u201d<\/p>\n

This journey can be difficult. Like the ancient Israelites, we have to wander for many many years. And the longer we wander, the more we realize how far we still have to go.<\/p>\n

This notion is captured in the recollection Rabbi Israel Salanter, one of the great rabbis of the nineteenth century: \u201cWhen I was young,\u201d he said, \u201cI wanted to change the world. I tried, but the world did not change. So I tried to change my town, but my town did not change. Then I turned to my family, but my family did not change. Then I realized: first I must change myself: and I am still trying.\u201d<\/p>\n

So are we all.<\/p>\n

By\u00a0Evan Moffic<\/a><\/p>\n

GET A FREE EBOOK: HOW TO FORGIVE EVEN WHEN IT HURTS.\u00a0http:\/\/bit.ly\/U6pA1G<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A favorite song to accompany brides down the wedding aisle is the Beatles’ \u201cIn My Life.\u201d It\u2019s a song about the past meeting the present. It\u2019s a song about how the singer has been formed by all his past experiences in life. 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