Amy Lu's View

I don’t have as much appreciation for the Clash as I ideally should. I did get more knowledgeable a few years ago when we were in a student Clash cover band, but I’ve never really thrown myself into a Clash Consciousness Project. 

So to observe International Clash Day today, February 5, I’m pondering a song by The Hold Steady that gives a shout out to Joe Strummer. 

“Raise a toast to St. Joe Strummer
I think he might’ve been our only decent teacher
Getting older makes it harder to remember we are our only saviors”

–The Hold Steady, “Constructive Summer”

As I get older and older (less than a month away from turning 54) I love this lyric more and more. As the years pass, it can be so easy to forget that we are our only saviors, and that we still have power and potential. There is a lot to debate in what a “savior” is or what “salvation” means, but I think the really key point is that we have to do this work for ourselves and for, and with, each other. (Chad just pointed out that I’m referencing many of his sermons with this take on salvation). Whatever we mean by salvation we can’t give up just because we’re no longer young (and we can certainly welcome the young to help us out, and to maybe help them out, too). 

If we are our only saviors, we have to admit we need saving (or at least help), and try to be there for each other–even if it’s only in small ways.

I think this is charmingly and beautifully (and a little disturbingly) illustrated by the recent response to Elmo’s tweet (https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/31/health/elmo-checking-in-x-wellness-cec/index.html) asking how we’re doing. (Yeah, yeah, I know it’s no longer “Twitter” or “tweeting” but I’m going to keep using that shorthand). I didn’t do a deep dive into the responses, but many, many people replied that they, and “we” are not okay. Sure, some of this was probably intentionally funny and dramatic, but it seems like there was a lot of truth there. 

And Elmo, (and Cookie Monster, and Snuffleupagus, and Joe Biden–or Joe Biden’s social media people) tried to help.  

I won’t claim that anyone was saved by Elmo’s tweet or the responses to it, but I do think there was at least some degree of sincere asking for, and trying to provide, help. 

To uplift that spirit of saving, I’ll raise a toast to St. Joe Strummer, and St. Elmo, too (and Elmo also  had his own holiday on Feb. 3. Do I get extra points for working that in?)