Hope...

In today's world the temptation is often to isolation and loneliness. Pornography has a huge impact on the modern world's culture every day. Many men and women are caught in the trap of illusion.

I think the Eagle's song "Desperado" has a message for us that has some value.?

Desperado comes from the Spanish "desesperado" -"reckless - without hope"??

Initially, the sense of loneliness (or alone-ness) is strong in the lyrics, resonating with today's individualistic post-modern culture, where communication is completed and conducted at arm's length. Often by people not looking at the surrounding world. Many people "exist" in remote places (not necessarily physically), rarely encountering deep, meaningful contact and discovering a type of pleasure for a time in unaccountability and anonymity. And yet the very occasions and objects they set sail to achieve through life's prevailing storms and becalming are illusive and ethereal. The song says we want to "draw the queen of diamonds". However, I perceive that it might be fairer to suggest??"The King of Diamonds" is a better representation of contemporary urgency, where pleasure, external possessions, appearance, and position have become the worldly gods to appease and worship.??If that's the case then the "king of hearts" is perhaps the other side of this facade, where in fact, the unseen and intangible are more real than we dare believe.?

Desperado, why don't you come to your senses??? You been out ridin' fences for so long now?? Oh, you're a hard one?? I know that you got your reasons?? These things that are pleasin' you?? Can hurt you somehow??

Don't you draw the queen of diamonds, boy?? She'll beat you if she's able?? You know the queen of hearts is always your best bet??

Now it seems to me, some fine things?? Have been laid upon your table?? But you only want the ones that you can't get?

However that truth remains elusive and partially hidden as we scramble for every possible obtainable temporal treasure to fill our minds, our garages and lofts, and having struggled for the happiness promised we find some sort of relief in solitary contemplation, recognizing self-imposed boundaries and not noticing the open padlock on the prison gates. Hardships come in ever-increasing waves, slowly ebbing our purpose, and as we tire of the relentless pursuit of cresting, we dally longer in the troughs, and the "between times" become a place of shallow ongoing grey loneliness, where thoughts wander under the shadow of never-captured promised past fantasies and glories. If only we could stop chasing the Queen of Diamonds and instead come to the feet of the King of Hearts, if we would exchange the tangible for the intangible, the external for the internal, the temporal for the eternal, we would find our promise hidden in the reflection, even the shadow of the King of Hearts.?

Desperado, oh, you ain't gettin' no younger?? Your pain and your hunger, they're drivin' you home?? And freedom, oh freedom well, that's just some people talkin'?? Your prison is walking through this world all alone??

Don't your feet get cold in the winter time??? The sky won't snow and the sun won't shine?? It's hard to tell the night time from the day?? You're losin' all your highs and lows?? Ain't it funny how the feeling goes away???

Desperado, why don't you come to your senses??? Come down from your fences, open the gate?? It may be rainin', but there's a rainbow above you?? You better let somebody love you, before it's too late??

The Eagles are right, it's time to let somebody love you, to stop covering over the hurts, the failings, and the pains of loss and disillusion. The King of Hearts is waiting, patiently, lovingly, without judgement, with restoration and fulfilment.?He has plans for you to succeed beyond anything you can dream or imagine.