The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Music by Fr. Nick F. Lalog II, 28 June 2020
One reason I have this blog on trying to link secular music with the Sunday gospel is the firm belief that God continues to speak to us through modern means of communications like music and films. Sometimes I feel that if Jesus were with us today, he might be instructing us priests to “feed my geeks” than “feed my sheep”.…..
For this Sunday we have the dynamic duo of Daryl Hall and John Oates — my most favorite group standing side by side with the late Walker Becker and Donald Fagen of Steely Dan.
Released in 1984 from their “Big Bam Boom” album, Possession Obsession is one of a kind in their long list of superb music with John Oates taking the front seat in this song unlike in their previous hits where it would always be Daryl taking the lead.
I have listened maybe a hundred times to Possession Obsession but it was only yesterday after preparing my Sunday homily that I have tried to internalize its lyrics, including the music video directed by Bob Giraldi who did Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”.
The song perfectly echoes the Sunday teaching today of Jesus Christ who said that
“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
Matthew 10:39
Possession Obsession echoes Christ’s teaching this Sunday on life’s paradox wherein the more we give, the more we actually receive, that life is not about possession and having but about love, of giving and of sharing with others.
You know there's something you need Right here and now To fill the space inside of yourself Money love or power When you want to have the number one first run anyone You're crazy 'til you own them You ought to know better than that The more that you buy the less you get back It's a case of possession obsession Gimme Gimme The compulsion to count the percentage of time Spent between two lovers Can turn an hour into a crime And all the good times suffer Though you know it's only jealousy You can't help but be Haunted by your passion Don't you know it's a matter of fact The more that you take the less you give back Just a taste of possession obsession Brings a case of possession obsession Gimme Gimme
Watch closely too this music video set inside a cab with John Oates as driver, taking different passengers in all the different forms of “love” understood these days, far from the truth witnessed to us by Jesus Christ.
In fact, it is one of the first music video to present two men holding hands as lovers at the back of John’s cab with one of the men looking like the late David Bowie (?).
At the last sequence of the music video is a beautiful presentation of giving and loving when Hall and Oates were in their usual attires in a cafe, competing in “possessing” the sugar dispenser. Hall prevailed and right before putting sugar into his coffee, he changed his mind and slid the sugar dispenser to Oates at the other end of the bar table.
Nice song, nice music, nice video.
For reflections on this Sunday’s gospel, check my homily https://lordmychef.com/2020/06/27/let-christ-possess-us/
Have a beautiful and blessed Sunday.
lordmychef.com 