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Thursday, October 8, 2020

A World Suddenly Less Bright

 Eddie Van Halen has left us.

The lead guitarist for the eponymous rock group Van Halen, Eddie died of throat cancer on October 6, 2020.

Some of you, reading this, wept. Some recognized the name, and felt sorrow. And some, perhaps, wondered exactly who he was.

Eddie Van Halen was a rocker who live the rockstar life, and he was also a devout Catholic. Married for a quarter-centruy to the actress Valerie Bertinelli, he left a son, Wolfgang, who is a part of the current Van Halen lineup.

And he changed my life.

The band's signature song, Jump, has such a relentlessly cheerful beat and message...the first lines...

I get up and nothin' gets me down
You got it tough, I've seen the toughest around
And I know, baby, just how you feel
You got to roll with the punches and get to what's real

...became both inspiration and challenge. I wanted to live that.

And, to a large degree, I have (which has, no doubt, irritated many who know me!).

I never met Eddie Van Halen, of course, but as his brother Alex said, "I'll see you on the other side." I hope so!

So this brings to mind two things...

  1. He never new the profound impact Jump had on me, as an individual...and how many of us live in ignorance of what our words or deeds may have meant to others?
  2. He lived the dichotomy of drugs and booze and devout Catholicism...so what makes a 'good Christian'? Is there such a thing, or are we Christians, to God, simply 'Christians', steeped in worldly sin but holding to a faith that reaches up from the mud and mire?
I don't have an answer. I try to be 'good', but even with terminal cancer, now, I still fall, daily. More in the in of pride (I don't have the energy for sins that might be more fun), but pride being the worst of the lot maybe makes up fo the lack of fleshly sin.

I'd love to hear your thouyghts, and I hope you'll enjoy the sonnet below, an the video link to Jump. It's such a fun, high-energy video, and I wish I had Eddie's brown hair, and wonderful smile.


There’s a silence on the airwaves,

the dial is not as bright;

all’s OK, for Jesus saves,

but we’ve lost a little light.

There’s a guitar waiting in its case

for hands that come no more;

in this now quiet, sadder place,

the Lord has closed a door,

and let us with a memory

to burnish through the years,

a headstone in a cemetery,

and private mourning tears.

Eddie did so much to please us,

and now it’s time to jam with Jesus.

And here's Van Halen, with my beloved Jump. (Please click here if the video doesn't come up.)


I do try to answer each comment in a timely fashion, but with Internet providers really stretched, I have only about half of the access I once did. Please bear with me!


Thanks to Carol Ashby, Blessed Are The Pure Of Heart is back on Kindle, and will be available in paperback soon.

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31 comments:

  1. I think the musician Chris Rice says something in one of his songs about how we all sin, we just do it differently. Being devout to a religion doesn't move me much. Being devout to God, that's a different story. Devoutness to God allows us to change and mature and become more like him. Devoutness to a religion just allows us to be better rule followers.

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  2. Andrew, I don't think there is anything such thing as a 'good' Christian. I think we go to our grave holding fiercely to our tiny mustard seed and donning very muddied crowns. I believe he just wants to be with all of his kids again - forgiving all the way up to the end, 'cause that's who he is. I believe he loves us each fiercely and purely and powerfully beyond all the outside 'garbage.'He looks at our hearts, and I don't think anything else matters.

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    1. Jane, I love this, the way you put it...'holding fiercely to our mustard seed and donning very muddied crowns'. Bravo!

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  3. "All’s OK, for Jesus saves" - I'm holding on to that daily because I believe we all live the dichotomy of sinful lives and holding "to a faith that reaches up from the mud and mire". Thank God for His amazing compassion and grace.

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    1. Wemi, yes indeed...hold on tight to His compassion and grace!

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  4. A friend once told me that he envisions heaven as a time when we will get to see the small (or great) differences we have made in others' lives. I didn't follow Eddie, but now I will check his music! "I get up and nothin' gets me down." I can see how that has inspired YOU. Thanks, Andrew! (Karen FMF #4)

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    1. Karen, that's a wonderful thought, that we get to see the differeces we truly made.

      But you get to know now; your words have changed my life for the better.

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  5. To me it's not 'the being good' it's the trying and recognising that we fail and that we need a Saviour! We will always fail but God sees the integrity of our heart and has provided forgiveness for us through Jesus.Always a thought provoking post - thank you Andrew! fmf#7

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    1. Sharon, I really like the way you put this, that God sees the heart's integrity. Thank you!

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  6. I think we both understand that it's not our place to know exactly "how Christian" a person is, but still our earthly minds want to make that judgement. I was once reminded that we all start somewhere. The drug-addicted thief that puts his faith in Christ is "as Christian" as the believer who has spent his life following God, it's just that one is at the beginning of his journey and one is much further along. Then we have Biblical figures like Jacob and David who undeniably had deep faith in God, but who did things most of us would label sinful. It's really hard to reconcile behavior and belief when we see these kinds of people (and I think you are saying that EVH would fall into a similar category). I'm not sure I've said much, but there are my thoughts. =)

    Amie, FMF #13

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    1. Amie, you did indeed say a great deal, and the salient point that it's a question of where we are along the road is one that would never have occurred to me. Thank you so much!

      And I'm glad you didn't drown in that river, the incident mentioned in your FMF post. I've learned a lot from your words; you've strengthened, and have helped define, my own faith. Thank you for this.

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  7. I hope he knew the risen Jesus.

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    1. Susan, from what I know (and I did a bit of research before writing this for FMF), I think it's safe to say he did.

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  8. As some one who also doesn't get right very often I like to cling to Esphesians where we are saved by grace through faith and not by actions. The inner 80s rock chick in me hopes he is jamming Jesus. I like your first thought about the impact we leave on others without ever knowing.

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    1. Loretta, thank you for this...I think that when we mess up, God patiently (but with a big sigh and eye-roll), stands us up, washes us down, and holds our hands as we try again.

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  9. music can be so pivotal in life!
    i've wrestled with similar questions about Elvis - his gospel songs are so beautiful, yet he had his share of temptations

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    1. Brooke, I share your thoughts about The King...and I think, and hope, that God saw the man, and not the dust that clung to him, from the roads he travelled.

      Thanks so much for stopping by!

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  10. Your sonnet is a beautiful tribute to EVH,and I like your first thought about the impact we leave on others without ever knowing, but as for your second thought,I have to agree with Anita's comment above. Hopefully at some point Eddie came to know Jesus and accepted His gift of salvation by grace through faith--not works.

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    1. Grams, I'm glad you liked this...and from the research I did, I'm pretty firmly sure that EVH did know Jesus, and took grace by faith.

      That he struggled with temptation, no doubt...I did, too, and fell more often than I want to recall...but the underlying theme of even the worst of days was that in the end, for all my sins, I was loved.

      And saved.

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  11. my brother really liked Van Halen's music, so that memory was brought to mind when I heard he has passed away.

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    1. Annette, I am glad I could give you a reminder. Thanks for sharing this.

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  12. I always liked his music but I sure didn't admire him as much as you, Andrew. Sounds like he had quite the impact on you and his loss moved you deeply. I was so sorry to hear of his passing but so glad that his last moments were in the arms of his family. Thanks for reminding us of his legacy, my friend! Praying for you and yours!

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    1. Beth, yes, EVH's passing did move me; in his flawed and generous character, I saw something of a reflection of my own nature. In a sense he helped me learn to accept myself, if that makes sense, and let the past go.

      Thank you so much for your prayers; these days are getting mighty hard.

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  13. God never expected perfection which is why Grace exists through Jesus. I never was really into the music scene with the exception of band in my youth. Deafness is a huge reason for this lack of interest.

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    1. Lee Ann, I'm sure glad God did not expect perfection...I'd be sunk!

      I'm so sorry for the issue of deafness. It must have been a very hard cross to bear. If I may say so, your writing shows that you have borne it with grace.

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  14. Amazing how music is able to motivate and inspire

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    1. Michele, it sure is! Music can have a deep influence, and sometimes one that's unexpected.

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  15. Andrew, you ask the most thought-provoking questions. I don't have answers either. I guess I come to the place where I trust that God knows and sees hearts. We humans aren't capable of, nor is it our place to make judgments about others because all we see is the tangible.

    This was a beautiful homage to Eddie Van Halen. I liked Jump and some of his other songs too.

    As always, I'm praying for you and for Barb, my friend.

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    1. Jeanne, you said this so well..."...I come to a place where I trust God knows and sees hearts." Perfect!

      I am so glad you liked this post, ans so grateful for your prayers!

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