Church...A Place for Truth

In April 2021 after a year of lockdowns sitting in a small flat in the UK, one of my all time favourite artists finally released some new material.  

Sadly, after much fan fare and teasing and lead-up the woman in question has gone as quiet as a mouse again.  That artist is the highly under-appreciated Tina Arena, the song in question, Church.

What a number to come back with after a long a rest. By title and from what I understand written in, the song is a haunting of time, life, regret, urgency, humanity, failings, nature and the realisation that it’s time to go back to Church. Who’s church? Your church. The Church of you as a sovereign human being. 

How can one go to any other? For despite thousands of years of fighting over myth and magic and fantasy the one common thing that all humanity’s religions seem to have in common is that no matter what the practice, all roads, rituals, rhyme, stories and lessons lead to God, or The Source, or the Grand Architect.

This song, Church, came at a time of immense fatigue in ones' life. Fatigue brought on by the year the species known as humanity seemed to loose all sense of perspective and reality. Nothing is delivered anymore in any kind of measured response. Everything is hyperbole. Hyper-exaggerated. The 24 hour news cycle has a lot to answer for, just as much as if not more than the actors that instigate this seeming insanity. 

A song that whilst simplistic in its form resonated with me even though I am not a religious person per sae. However if it is one thing that the last 18 months have taught, or at least reminded us, it is that humanity is fragile in both mind, body and spirit.  

In the rise of the loss of freedoms and loss of our human rights as they are stripped away by the powers of tyranny and power hungry faceless men and women, we find ourselves not only in the centre of the fourth turning and the struggle to see which faction will set the tone for the next 80 years, but also to the struggle of the Ages.

As the Age of Pisces is put to rest and the Age of Aquarius begins its great awakening, the change of the stars in the heavens so is the change to the laws, ideals, religions, beliefs and social systems that have lead us to this point in time and space. Where it will lead us to no-one yet knows.

But within this philosophical stance is the concept of time to go to Church. It is time to look inward and outward to the world around us and decide what is truly important. Is the 100 grand car on perpetual lease really worth it? Is the McMansion worth the 3 salaries it takes to pay the mortgage on it? And for what purpose other than to show off to your mates at the pub how fast the new Beemer is or the latest design on those Laura Ashley curtains or the nice face on that new Rolex?!  

Going to Church isn’t necessarily about going into the house of a deity and praying for the forgiveness that you lusted at a pretty girl or a handsome surfer or swore fifty F-bombs before leaving the garage this morning in that lovely new leased one hundred grand car.

Will you go to Church? Will you dare put a toe inside the threshold of the most holiest of places, the Church of the Soul of the Human Mind. Will it provide you the forgiveness you seek? Or is it time you started showing it some respect and worship, for without strengthening of the spirit and body nothing of what is to come will be possible.

It’s time to go to Church.