Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends…

 

 

‘Welcome back, my friends,

to the show that never ends;

we’re so glad you could attend,

come inside, come inside’

(from ‘Karn Evil 9’ by Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, 1974)

 

 

I last posted on my blog in February 2025, having promised that I was about to unleash a torrent of posts on an unsuspecting world! And here I am, almost 18 months later, having failed to fulfil my promise. Well, it has been quite an unexpectedly hectic year, for one reason or another.

But here I am… again. Welcome back… and I do hope that a different rhythm to my life is now dawning, and that I will be able to blog again more regularly.

The show never ends!

And how true that is in so many (not always happy) ways.

ELP’s ‘Karn Evil 9’ from which I have quoted above, paints a dystopian picture. Indeed, from 1969 until 1974, a lot of prog rock was so dystopian that it was described as ‘doom rock’. (Check out some early King Crimson, or Van Der Graff Generator, etc)

In these times, we were still in the Cold War era, imminent nuclear annihilation was on our minds, there seemed to be constant global instability.

And here we are in 2026 and the details may be different, but (to me at least) it all feels very much the same.

‘Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends’.

My last post on my blog was – as I said – in February 2025, and I have just re-read it, and it too was commenting on the state of things in the world.

‘plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose’.

I am often accused (mainly by my family) of being negative, pessimistic, and grumpy. I think that they are being unfair, and that I am simply realistic. But, then, a pessimist would say that, wouldn’t they?

However, in fact, while I can get a bit down about the state of the world at the moment, I am actually full of hope, arising out of my faith. I firmly and fully believe that God has a plan and that, in time, it will come to pass. Justice and peace will kiss. Crying and dying will be no more. All things will be made new.

This I believe.

And because I believe that, I will continue to work, pray, and hope for a better world.

‘Your kingdom come, your will be done’