The Story of Isaac by Leonard Cohen (Cover)

I love how songs come to me in a round-about way.

Those of you familiar with the content on my channel will know that I write a lot of social justice material, and often focus on the plight of oppressed minorities in China.

Last month Jia Tolentino wrote a fairly cynical piece for the New Yorker about the Shen Yun show. A Chinese dance and music show run largely by victims of persecution in China and put on around the world to counter-act communist propaganda.
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/stepping-into-the-uncanny-unsettling-world-of-shen-yun

I only heard about the article because of the excellent response piece that journalist and human rights investigator/campaigner, Ethan Gutmann, wrote for the National Review:
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/the-truth-about-chinas-persecution-of-falun-gong

In conversation, Ethan mentioned this Leonard Cohen song, that I remember hearing a cover of about ten years ago and haven't yet done.

Leonard performing the song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtdYnhnoGI0

Some good discussion on the lyrics:
https://songmeanings.com/songs/view/74118/

As a child going to Sunday school, the message I took away was to "do crazy stuff because god tells you to", which isn't at all healthy.

I think Leonard's message might have been about the old generation sacrificing the young to a egotistical/fanciful/misguided cause (ie. Vietnam).

In the context of Chinese Communist brutality, I think the song calls out what we are willing to sacrifice to secure trade, or a notional peace, or to hang on to our clear conscience.

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