4-23-12<\/p>\n
\tThis week, two iconic figures of American culture, both of whom made their marks in the 1970s, died. Chuck Colson was a powerful political operative, convicted felon in the Watergate scandal, and then a leading force in the evangelical church. Levon Helm grew up in Turkey Scratch, Arkansas; played various \u2013 and \u201cfused\u201d \u2013 forms of country, folk, blues, and gospel music; was a major member of \u201cThe Band\u201d that backed Bob Dylan; and became an inspiration to two generations of singers and songwriters.<\/p>\n
\tThere is no case to be made for \u201cideological bookends,\u201d or the irony of two enemies in the culture wars: that is not the fabric I wish to weave. These two men did not face off 40 years ago; Levon, for instance, was not even a part of any major protest movement in the pop music of his day, otherwise a common association.<\/p>\n
\tThe lives of these two men, different as they were, offer, I think, powerful lessons for countrymen they leave behind. Their names were seldom paired in a sentence before this week, but should be in a certain way.<\/p>\n
\tThey showed us that how you live is important. But how you die is more important.<\/p>\n
\tColson\u2019s story has become the stuff of legend (in fact, his autobiography, Born Again<\/em>, was made into a movie): powerful Washington lawyer; connections; joined the Nixon Administration, where his official duties included communication with lobbyists and interest groups, and political strategy, and his unofficial duties included dirty tricks and monitoring \u201cenemies.\u201d He was involved in Watergate and the cover-up, but was convicted of complicity in a break-in and scheme to discredit an anti-war opponent. Colson served time in prison.<\/p>\n \tHaving read C S Lewis\u2019s Mere Christianity<\/em>, he gave his life to Christ. He witnessed to other inmates in jail. Colson founded Prison Fellowship after his release, and ever after toiled for prisoners\u2019 rights, visitation reform, assistance to families of prisoners, and chapel programs. He founded an institute to enable Christians to be informed and effectively work in today\u2019s society. He became an ardent, and thoughtful, foe of post-modernism. Prison Fellowship, as an evangelical outreach, is active in 114 countries; my son-in-law\u2019s father ministers weekly in Ireland as part of the team there.<\/p>\n \tLevon Helm, in another corner of the culture, worked in many fields of music as a singer, mandolinist, drummer, and composer (\u201cThe Night They Drove Old Dixie Down\u201d). His dedication to roots music began in the 1960s and \u201870s. He also acted in \u201cCoal Miner\u2019s Daughter\u201d and \u201cThe Right Stuff.\u201d Battling painful cancer of the vocal cords for more than a decade before his death this week, he continued to perform until a couple months ago. Sometimes without singing. Sometimes digging deep, from somewhere, finding the strength and the pipes to sing some lyrics. Amazing. As always.<\/p>\n \tMore and more he came to concentrate on old-time country, gospel, mountain music, and rural blues. This son of a cotton farmer represented something I have long held about the value of tradition, race, and nationhood: no matter where you roam, or how much you explore, or what faraway places you might live in, the best journey is that whose end is right where you started.<\/p>\n \tChuck Colson returned to his Savior. Levon Helm returned to his musical roots. What really united this unlikely pair, in my eyes, was that they each completely sold out to the things they loved and knew<\/em>. Their passion knew no bounds. They each died in the saddle, so to speak \u2013 Chuck\u2019s brain hemorrhage came while he was speaking to a church group; Levon performed at his house (\u201cMidnight Rambles\u201d) in Woodstock right to the end. How many of us have that passion\u2026 and live<\/em> with that passion?<\/p>\n We cannot be too sad when people like this leave us. They lived worthwhile lives to the fullest, enduring much even amidst their joy. No less a person than William F Buckley, for instance, doubted and mocked Colson\u2019s conversion at first. Helm felt betrayed by members of The Band and sometimes met resistance to his mixed bag of roots music. But in a sense, passionate fighters like these men did not just die \u2013 they LIVED. How they lived is important, but to the rest of us, how they died might be more important.<\/p>\n + + +<\/p>\n A predictable number in Levon\u2019s stage show was the great Carter Family gospel song \u201cNo Depression in Heaven.\u201d Purposely, the lyrics were ambiguous about economic or emotional depression \u2013 because neither will be there, in God\u2019s place. Here is a stage version from a couple years ago with Levon on the mandolin and the great Larry Campbell among backup, and Sheryl Crow on lead vocals. Great lyrics. <\/p>\n