Counting Stars… by Andrew Peterson

I do not consider myself to be a connoisseur of fine music. I am certainly not fit to write reviews of a musical work. I cannot properly explain the way music sounds or the ways in which it can move a man. That being said, I am going to go ahead and try any way.

On Tuesday, July 27th, 2010, Andrew Peterson released his album Counting Stars. Those who know me well know that I have been a fan of Andrew Peterson for quite some time. I frequent a blog of sorts that he began some time ago, and I have frequented it since he first began it. It is called The Rabbit Room, based on the room of the same name that The Inklings frequented in a pub in Oxford. While I wouldn’t equate the gathering of minds at the online Rabbit Room to those that were brought together in Oxford, they are certainly making a mighty fine attempt.

Any way, back to the album. When I listen to an album, I often try to find an overriding theme to it, one that begins and ends with the title. In the case of Counting Stars, I find myself coming to Genesis 15:5 (a quote that appears in the liner notes of the album).

God took Abram outside and said, “Look up at the heavens and count the stars — if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
-- Genesis 15:5

And that is what this album is about… family. God promised Abraham that his offspring, his family, would one day be as numerous as the stars. Although a man may not find his offspring to be as numerous as the stars, if you look for it, you will find a great treasure in your family. It is far too often that we overlook the blessings we find at home.

I’ll not go through the songs on this album one by one to explain how I get this feeling from it, but I will touch on three in particular. First is God of My Fathers, the song which actually contains the words “counting stars”. Songs can mean so many different things to different people, so I’ll merely post a snippet of the lyrics so you can perhaps read into it what you will.

• Now we’re counting stars and counting sand
• Little feet and little hands
• We’re counting joys
• We pray you’ll know them
• As you knew us when you wove us
• As you hold us
• Hold them, please hold them

Another song which I find rather poignant to the overarching purpose of the album is Planting Trees. While the words, I suppose, seem to be about planting trees, personally I don’t think that is what it’s really about at all. I think it’s all about raising children. I base those thoughts on this verse from the song:

• So sit down and write that letter
• Sign up and join the fight
• Sink in to all that matters
• Step out into the light
• Let go of all that’s passing
• Lift up the least of these
• Lean into something last:
• Planting trees

And on this verse from Proverbs:

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
-- Proverbs 22:6

And finally, the last song I’d like to touch on is Dancing in the Minefields. This song is all about marriage… and well, it’s just fantastic. I think it’s a really touching homage to marriage. Oddly enough, it reminds me a lot of the Disney/Pixar movie Up. Perhaps reading this review over at The Rabbit Room will explain something about how a cartoon makes me think of marriage (and make sure you read through the comments). Any way, for the song, check out this video.

If you’d like to purchase the album, you can find it here on Amazon, or over here at the Rabbit Room store.

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Capital Punishment and Frank Spisak

“He deserves death.”

“Deserves it ! I daresay he does. Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.”

I suspect some that read my blog might recognize that quote. It’s fairly famous. And oddly enough it isn’t really related at all to capital punishment. Those are the words of Gandalf, the wizard from JRR Tolkien’s fantasy epic The Lord of the Rings. But they certainly remind me of capital punishment.

I’m currently reading The Lord of the Rings again (fantastic books, by the way), and when I came across that quote I felt inspired to read a bit more about it. In the course of my inter-web browsing, I came across some articles concerning Frank Spisak, a man who is currently on death row in my home state of Ohio, and currently set to be executed on February 17, 2011.

Frank Spisak, fairly obviously, is a bad man. He killed three people and shot two others in what he called a guerrilla war against his enemies — blacks and Jews. He is such a bad man, in fact, that at his trial his defense lawyer said the following as part of his closing argument:

“Ladies and gentlemen, when you turn and look at Frank Spisak, don’t look for good deeds, because he has done none. Don’t look for good thoughts, because he has none. He is sick, he is twisted. He is demented, and he is never going to be any different.”

Also worth noting — he dressed like Hitler at his trial, carried a copy of Mein Kampf, confessed to the murders, and showed no remorse. When asked if he could think of any reason the jury would not recommend the death penalty, he replied, “Not offhand. Can you?”

Frank Spisak has twice appealed his case as high as the Supreme Court, most recently claiming his attorneys did not adequately represent him at his trial, in an attempt to stave off the death penalty. I am not denying that Frank Spisak deserves to die. But I am with Gandalf when it comes to capital punishment. I believe capital punishment should be done away with. Even men such as Frank Spisak could yet have something to give to the world from behind bars. I recently read an article concerning the Son of Sam and his contributions to various religious groups since his jailhouse conversion to Christianity. Who is to say that Frank Spisak won’t someday profoundly affect the life of some poor child going through some of the same problems that he has gone through in his madness?

“Deserves it ! I daresay he does. Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.”

– Gandalf (from the Fellowship of the Rings, by JRR Tolkien)

Links:

• Killer Frank Spisak, not his attorney, brought on death penalty, justices rule (January 13, 2010) Washington Post
• Murder victim’s son puts on judge’s robe (January 4, 2009) Fort Wayne Journal Gazette
• Backers Give ‘Son of Sam’ Image Makeover (July 12, 2010) NYTimes
• Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction — Death Row Inmates

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