I wouldn’t say that I’m necessarily a jealous person. I love my girlfriend very much (@emsteine for those on the tweetboxes) and I’ll do anything to keep her, but I don’t have to go kill anyone to do so. I’m blessed by the fact that she wants me and me alone, so my job as her boyfriend becomes much easier.
Recently a mutual friend of ours started calling her babe and honey and things like that, and while my initial reaction would have been to hit him, I realize that she doesn’t want anything to do with anyone other than me. So why be jealous? I prefer to just sit back and smile, knowing that she’s mine.
I wish I could say that my faith works the same way.
We are truly, as David Bazan put it, the prostitute wives of a minor prophet: we know we’ve got everything we need, all the love our hearts could ever handle, and yet we keep running away. Time after time, our minor prophet keeps coming back to save us, never angry, just thankful to have us back. Why do we run away in the first place? What else could be better?
I don’t profess to know what God thinks, but if I were in his shoes I would be pissed. Really, really pissed. Why would these people, who I gave my only Son for, keep running off to drink and gamble and make messes of their lives? Don’t they know I’ve got everything they need? If someone cheated on me as many times as I’ve “cheated” on God, I would have sent them packing a long time ago. But he keeps coming back. Over and over. Time after time. Just waiting patiently for us and then continuing to love us all the same.
One of my favorite songs begins with this line: He is jealous for me. Isn’t that a crazy notion? The God of all creation, jealous? But He has told us over and over in His word that he is, in fact, jealous; He wants us to only want Him. And this love that he gives us is, as the song says, like a hurricane. Strong, overwhelming, all encompassing.
We are sinful creatures, running from our Maker day after day, but we need to realize that no matter how far we run, He just wants us back. Broken, beaten, bruised, ruined; He wants us back exactly how we are. Let Him love you like a hurricane.
I have always been a fan of older music. Anything that started on tape or vinyl is just better than everything that’s being released these days. Don’t get me wrong, I have plenty of friends who are putting out wicked albums, but they’re just not the old music that makes me so nostalgic.
I grew up in an old school church. It was trying its darnedest to be hip, but failing miserably. Looking back, it’s almost amusing to think about it: you bring in an acoustic guitar, synth, some drums and a bass guitar and all of a sudden you think you’re hip? The audiophile in me wants to scorn them, but the Christian in me wants to give them a solid, “Good effort,” and, “maybe next time.” I could talk about musical proficiency in the church, but that is saved for another, longer post. The bottom line is this: they didn’t get it musically; you can’t take an old tune meant for piano and four part harmony and try to splice in all those other instruments without rewriting the song. But what they lacked musically, they made up for with lyrics.
Great is thy faithfulness. I surrender all. Fairest Lord Jesus. Many of us know these old hymns and can sing them from memory, but can we sing them from our hearts? How can we sing the words, “I surrender all,” and be disinterested? How can we say, “here’s my heart Lord, take and seal it,” and not be paying attention? The content of these hymns should be simultaneously exhausting and uplifting, filling us with joy and yet sending us to our knees before God. How do you think the authors felt when they openness these songs? Were they distracted by what their favorite celebrity just tweeted? No! They were 100% invested in what they were writing. These songs are powerful because they came from the heart.
I guess that’s why I love old songs: because I love the old mindset; the old way of doing, thinking and feeling; the old way of actually being sold out for God when you say you are.
Where has character gone? Integrity? Loyalty? I’m not sure I can answer that, but I say we start looking for them again. Why not start with old hymns?
Do you remember the men in old movies? Slow talking, respectful, strong (mentally/physically/spiritually), etc. They fought well, when they needed to, and shook hands after it. They were stern and disciplined well. They loved their families and would die for them in an instant. They were rough around the edges, of sound mind and pure heart.
What happened? Where did those men go? How do we get them back?
I hate to quote the song, but I want to be like John Wayne. Or at least the characters he played. Strong, moral, dedicated, hard working. I want to be able to teach people like he does in the movie “The Cowboys.” I want my words to be that meaningful, for my actions to be an example.
I’m hoping I won’t need to wait till I’m 40-50 in order to act like that, but I know a sure fire way to head in that direction is to spend time with men who are already like John Wayne. I’ve been fortunate enough to be surrounded by men who have learned a thing or two and are interested in sharing those things with knuckleheads like me. Now all i need to do is, well, follow through. I guess that’s the first step in a long journey. I know it will be worth it.
“In each of us lie good and bad, light and dark, art and pain, choice and regret, cruelty and sacrifice. We’re each of us our own chiaroscuro, our own bit of illusion fighting to emerge into something solid, something real. We’ve got to forgive ourselves that. I must remember to forgive myself. Because there is a lot of grey to work with. No one can live in the light all the time.” -Libba Bray
How does one, as a Christian, get his or her blog recognized across the internet? One of three ways:
1) Re-post / comment on / critique other notable Christians’ blogs, essays or books.
2) Say completely ridiculous things pertaining to faith and/or make fun of other Christians.
3) Post intelligent, informed and well researched ideas and gain intelligent, informed and well researched readers.
I guess I’ve done a little bit of all three in this short post, but I’m going to try my darnedest to start posting, and keep posting, in line with the third.
Love always, Joe