‘What a Wonderful World’ became famous at a time of international tensions and uncertainty – similar to today. Sung by a black American at a time of racial prejudice there was the Viet Nam war and the threat of nuclear war.
We have heard a lot about Personal Protective Equipment – masks, gloves etc; I was musing on what else the ‘E’ could stand for that is personal and needs protecting.
I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself what a wonderful world
Eyes: – Protecting our vision – seeing the wonders of our world, the needs of the people around us, insight into what is going on…
I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself what a wonderful world
Extraordinary: – Protecting our awareness – the individual, creative, unusual, exceptional, eccentric… when conformity is required…
The colours of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
Emotions: – Protecting and valuing anxiety, love, sadness, joy, worry, confusion, frustration, anger…
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do
They’re really saying I love you
Empathy: Protecting our understanding, feeling and sharing the emotions of those around us…
I hear babies cry, I watch them grow
They’ll learn much more than I’ll never know
Ears: – Protecting our hearing – the wonderful world, the voices of others, the voice of God…
And I think to myself what a wonderful world
Enjoyment & Excitement: – Protecting the enjoyment, excitement brought by people, situations, ideas, opportunities, the future…
Yes I think to myself what a wonderful world
Expectations: Protecting hope in times of despair, loss, weariness, bereavement…
Oh Yea! …Amen
Ref: ‘What a Wonderful World’ written by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss was made famous by Louis Armstrong in 1967.
Musings on my Musings:
Initially I reflected on another reference to rainbows.
I must have listened to (and preached) too many sermons with badly alliterated points.
In a different context I might develop these ideas by exploring how Jesus demonstrated the above by teaching and example.
I have probably missed some clever comment about protecting our ‘ease’ (E’s)!
