Some of you know where this is headed. You've grown tired of listening to the same scratched cd (kind of like a broken record for those over 50 who frequent the blog). I'm not here to debate on whether we should hit the eject button. Not many people like hearing an intoxicated Alvin and the Chipmunks. I'm wondering if there's something else we could do? Something to possibly restore the condition of the original...
Let's come back to this in a minute. I've got a story for you.
Over the weekend, I pre-ordered The Trumpet Child (the latest album from one of the best bands of all time... Over The Rhine). When you pre-order you also receive three free mp3's immediately, as well as exclusive extras. How could you not pre-order? Right? Anyway, I began to listen to each song closely. Over The Rhine's songs are beautiful narratives evoking all of our senses. Yes, it's quite the experience!However, something was different about these new songs. Something was missing. It was like you paused in mid sentence to listen to the song. Then afterwards, carried on the conversation without ever losing place of where you were. It was if the song never truly existed. Wait. What? How could this be?
Has Over The Rhine continued along the same path as artists before them? Sarah McLachlan, Alanis Morissette, Counting Crows, Stone Temple Pilots, Matthew Perryman Jones. These are all fascinating artists whose music has dramatically changed over the years. Why? What's different?
Suffering. What do you mean?
Let's journey back. Sarah's best albums were written in the dark years of her life. Alanis' first few albums were a mixture of hurt, abuse, and neglect... but they rocked! Counting Crows wrote from a place of searching and desperation until they found happiness. Stone Temple Pilots- recovery was good for Scott Weiland, but the same can't be said for the music. It's like the best inspiration came out of the deepest pain.
One more example. Gladiator. If you still have yet to see the film, please stop reading this blog. I don't think it's gonna work out for us to be friends. Seriously, look at the character of Maximus. Would we remember the story if upon his arrival home, he simply became a good father, husband, and farmer? Hmmm. I think we all still see the same images here. The ground is black, the dirt dry, he looks up...
Suffering. There's something strikingly beautiful about her. Yet, so many people fail to truly see her in all her beauty. She resonates within each one of us. She stands at the door awaiting our invitation. She has come tonight to unite. That's her purpose. Somehow, she finds a way to unite us all together. And in the process, we're united with a Creator.Here's to all of us who have embraced her as best we could. May we have the strength to rely on each other arms. May we find ourselves helping to bring restoration to the earth. May the cd's of our hearts find a way to be scratch-less as we unite.
4 comments:
Yes and amen. I really do believe that suffering is a major "highway back to holiness" as the Word describes. You read this over and over in the Old Testament. God winnowing and purifying his people (for their sins most often) with, not in, the flames of suffering. How can we not expect the same? Why do we have so few teachers on how to EMBRACE suffering?
I thought this last week on our fleeting and fragile human existance. My best analogy is one of the engagement of a man and a woman. It's that unique time (for some it's a few months and some it's a few years....although I reccomend the shorter route for obvious reasons!) that is one of a kind. You'll never have that kind of opportunity afforded you ever again to love and cherish and honor and invest in your future life-partner the way that you can in an engagement time. And this is how our lives are here on earth. We have 70-80 years, some fewer and some more. But what is happening in the Heavenlies? The Word says, "store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven".
And it all comes back to suffering. It's one of the Father's ways He shows us He cares about us...really. He honors us by giving us the opportunity to say "yes" to suffering and trials and tribulations. It is a gift. It is precious. And we only have this one life-time to do it with...one life-time that will set the parameters for our eternity.
May we learn how to suffer.....together....for the Kingdom.
Ben, Maximus wanted to reply.
On suffering: I knew a man once who said, "Death smiles at us all. All a man can do is smile back."
On unity: You can help me. Whatever comes out of these gates, we've got a better chance of survival if we work together. Do you understand? If we stay together we survive.
On action: What we do in life echoes in eternity.
I love Gladiator. Not because of any deep, profound truths. Not because of any superficial, gratuitous scratchings of a macho itch. I simply love Gladiator for its simplicity. Sure it's a long movie, with many beautiful and heart wrenching layers, but at it's simplest, it's about a man being a man.
It kind of reminds me of another simple story of a man just being who he was born to be who he was destined to be, and who he was simply. Jesus.
Jesus doesn't offer His followers prosperity, giddiness, smooth sailing, luxury, or anything of the like in this life. It's all about sacrifice, surrender, and suffering this side of heaven.
Will we have moments of joy? Sure, but following His lead, we see that true Joy is found in looking forward and just simply being who God has purposed for you to be.
My mind and body rebel against this idea, but my spirit leaps inside me at the chance to live true adventure, suffering and all.
Russ, thanks bro!
Gladiator. It's pretty classic for our generation isn't it? How can someone not love this film?
I really loved this part of your comment. "My mind and body rebel against this idea, but my spirit leaps inside me at the chance to live true adventure, suffering and all."
I'm not sure we ever truly live without first suffering. Look at relationships. The good stuff normally comes after a ridiculous fight... doesn't it? There's something about the rawness of it all. Yeah... let's suffer together.
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