ell concert (they chose the name The Band after realizing that people would always say; - hey the band is here, - is the band ready? - does the band know?). They became famous not only for such hits as Up on Cripple Creek and Take a Load off Annie, but also for being the primary backup “band” for Bob Dylan for many years.Martin Scorsese decided to film the farewell concert and the resulting movie, The Last Waltz, has been dubbed in many quarters as the best film ever in the concert genre. Scorsese became such great friends with The Band’s leader, Robbie Roberston, during filming that they became NY roommates for several years after the movie. The Band was given an honorary lifetime Grammy achievement award this year along with such also-rans as The Beatles. Having recently watched The Last Waltz on PBS, what stuck with me was the title.
There comes a time in life when you realize that you are dancing your "last waltz" with respect to some things. This can be a good thing if your feet really hurt from a lifetime of waltzing or a bad thing if you have always loved to dance. More practically, you reach a point when you realize that many aspects of your life are the best they are going to be - or - the “last” they are going to be. Best things include; financial opportunities, health, etc. Last things can be, your last address, meaning your last move, which brings your last phone number, last primary care physician, last car purchase and on and on. There are many important “last” things that one simply must come to fully understand before the lights go out for the “last” time, such as:
The Last Train to Clarksville,The Last Tango in Paris,
The Last Hard Men,
The Last King of Scotland,
The Last of the Red Hot Lovers,
The Last Dance,
The Last of the Mohicans, &,
The Last Time I Saw Paris. (France or Hilton?)
The Last Time I Saw Paris. (France or Hilton?)
It is easy to be melancholy about last things. But as the famous philosopher Mick Jagge
r said in a recent Parade Magazine interview, “there is nothing worse than a 40 year old ex-pro football player sitting on a bar stool telling the story one more time of his famous break-away run when he was 22”. But when Mick was 22, he said it would really be pathetic if he was still singing Satisfaction when he was 40. Well, how about 65, Mick? His life philosophy is to keep moving forward no matter what. To show how he has grown as an individual, he can no longer party all night then give a concert the next day. He has to choose between the two. That’s real personal growth, if you ask me.
When does this “last” perspective come about? I think it begins when we start to experience the passing of family and friends. It changes one’s outlook considerably. But the bright side is that no one ever says anything bad about someone in their obituary. Up until this change of view begins to happen to you, the best advice is to never compare yourself or your life with anyone’s. C.S. Lewis wrote that (para) "discontentment only comes when we compare".
r said in a recent Parade Magazine interview, “there is nothing worse than a 40 year old ex-pro football player sitting on a bar stool telling the story one more time of his famous break-away run when he was 22”. But when Mick was 22, he said it would really be pathetic if he was still singing Satisfaction when he was 40. Well, how about 65, Mick? His life philosophy is to keep moving forward no matter what. To show how he has grown as an individual, he can no longer party all night then give a concert the next day. He has to choose between the two. That’s real personal growth, if you ask me.When does this “last” perspective come about? I think it begins when we start to experience the passing of family and friends. It changes one’s outlook considerably. But the bright side is that no one ever says anything bad about someone in their obituary. Up until this change of view begins to happen to you, the best advice is to never compare yourself or your life with anyone’s. C.S. Lewis wrote that (para) "discontentment only comes when we compare".
Last things do not necessarily mean a decline. It can mean reaching a realistic plateau, then living to not lose ground. Besides, reducing the number and frequency of change in one’s life is not necessarily a bad thing. I think the best way to prevent losing ground and to follow Mick’s advice to keep moving forward is to always seek to learn new things. Learning is invigorating and renewing. And contrary to conventional wisdom, learning is ageless, barring disease.
Finding a new, but probably last, church home is the next to the last ste
p for us. The decision incorporates all the lessons learned about Christian life and relationships. Therefore, it is the most important last. It’s also a last thing that isn’t really last. The decision has eternal significance. The Apostle Paul wrote in Thessalonians to "forget about what lies behind and to press on to the high calling in Christ Jesus". Jesus is the Beginning and the End. A life in Him really has no truly last things. For with eternal life there is no last, only next.So until the next time, stay away from back-to-back all night parties and then giving concerts the next day. For – “This could be the last time, this could be the last time, maybe the last time I don’t know…”
Footnote - No surprise that Scorsese and The Rolling Stones have teamed up for a new IMAX concert movie to be called "The Light".
