In a previous career life, I was a commodities broker.  The head trader at our trade desk would update our price screens with relative news and very brief commentary.  On one particular day, when there was very little activity in the market, he sent the following message to our screens:  "The market is sharply unchanged."  That comment is not dissimilar to the old saying, "The more things change, the more they stay the same."

Both of the above quotes can be used to describe 60's icon, Barry McGuire.  To compare him today with the McGuire of the mid to late ‘60's, you would see a sharply unchanged and yet radically different person. 

The Barry McGuire of the 60's was a folk singing phenomenon.  Early in his career, he was a member of the folk group, The New Christy Minstrels.  With group founder, Randy Sparks, McGuire co-wrote the groups largest selling hit, "Green, Green".

After leaving the group in early 1965, Barry went on to record his largest solo hit, "Eve of Destruction" and starred in the Broadway musical, "Hair".  McGuire is also credited with introducing The Mama's and the Papa's to legendary producer, Lou Adler, after first recording a song of theirs that they later recorded and became their huge first hit. 

The song?  "California Dreamin'".

In the early 70's, McGuire became a follower of Christ.  It wasn't long before he became one of the pre-eminent contemporary Christian artists in that fledgling genre of music.  If you were to ask anyone today how they view Barry McGuire, the odds are that you would get an even split between those who know him as a 60's folk singer and as a Christian artist.

I recently had the privilege of talking to Barry over a series of phone conversations.  The topics of discussion ran the gamut of music, politics, church, marriage, and homosexuality. At the beginning of our first chat, I asked him what he's been up to lately.

"What can I say?  What have I been up to?  I've been up to the same thing that I've always been up to and that is just sinking in to the reality that enfolds me, you know?  I set out when I was in the Christy Minstrels to discover what is, what is "IT"; what is life; what is "stuff" made of.  You know, I mean, where did we come from?  Where were we 500 years ago?  Where were you?  Where are you going to be 500 years from now?  What is this biological hunk of meat that we live in?  It's kind of like a ‘bio-mobile'.   We feed it and we bathe it and we give it rest and we give it exercise. Well, what is it?  Where did it come from and what is the entity that causes us to move and pick up a cup of tea - I'm drinking tea right now.  I'll have a sip (sips).   Well, what was it that caused me to do that?  What is the driver, the motivator, the observer that lives within the mind?