In the hustle and bustle of busy day-to-day life, it’s sometimes easy to forget what I’m living for. It seems so natural sometimes to take my eyes off Jesus and to focus on myself instead. That’s when fear and doubt creep in, and I see that I’m failing to love like I want to… but at the end of the day, I know that God has not left me in the dust, that He is working in my life, and that in all things, He truly is worth living for. He is everything, and He has said that I am to love Him and love people, simple as that. This love, this loyalty to God and to others, is what ought to keep us going- it ought to be what drives us to do all that we do. This is what will ultimately satisfy us, make us the best we can be for the people around us, and give honor and glory to our Creator.
The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. (Ecclesiastes 12:13)
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. (John 13:34)
Switchfoot’s song “Love Alone Is Worth the Fight” brought all this to mind for me again this weekend (click here to listen to it on YouTube). I love how songwriters like Jon Foreman can write a song that I can listen to a hundred times and still dive deeper into as I live more of life and see that the words ring true and express what’s going on in my heart. So it’s a quick post today, I hope you enjoy the song, and more importantly that we can all live this week with love as our theme.
“Time to take my own advice: love alone is worth the fight.”
I know this may sound strange, especially as a music-loving Christian, but something I’ve come to realize more and more as time goes on is that I love sad songs.
That’s not to say I don’t like songs that are upbeat, happy, rocking, or just plain fun. There are lots of people who do those kinds of songs very well and I enjoy them very much. Upbeat rejoicing in worshiping God is a particularly good thing to have in any believer’s musical pallet because it helps us express the joy we have in His salvation. And a well done rock song always hits the spot! Obviously, we can’t only sing sad songs.
But even the greatest moments of joy in this life are often tinged with unsatisfied longing. I think Solomon would agree, as he says in Proverbs 14:13, “Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief.” As good as the Lord’s many blessings are in our lives, we can never escape the fact that things just aren’t how they’re supposed to be. In the good things that happen to us we get a mere glimpse of what this world was truly meant to be- and what the world to come will be like when every tear is wiped away forever. And when things go wrong, we’re especially reminded of how things are just not right in this world, and how it’s all because this is what we’ve allowed our sin to make it.
That said, I think sad songs are usually the most honest. There’s too much fake joy out there, especially in my own life. I like people to think I’m doing ok when the fact is I actually have my fair share of doubts and hopeless moments just like anyone else, and pretty much every day I deeply long for things to be the way they’re supposed to be. Why do we like to pretend, anyway? Do we like to think that if we pretend for long enough, all the pain will go away? Do we think people won’t accept us if we discuss our fears and struggles openly with each other?
A good sad song does just that. It tears down the walls of fake joy and says, “Hey, you’re not alone in this struggle, here’s how I’ve felt about it and how I’ve tried to come to grips with it.” A good sad song also sheds enough light and truth on the situation to say that there’s hope, that there’s a God who loves us who poured Himself out to death to redeem us from the cause of all this sadness (that being our sin). So even in the most crushing moments of pain, there is joy to be found in the hope of the Gospel.
For example, here’s a song by Eric Peters called “Reality Came Crashing Down.” It’s extremely melancholy and probably will sound depressing to most people, but it’s one of my favorite songs I’ve heard recently. There’s truth, disappointment, and hope, all wrapped in a melancholy and honest little package. The YouTube video below is just a clip of the song, I highly recommend you listen to the whole song on Spotify (or just buy his album Chrome, which is loaded with more similarly melancholy but hopeful tunes). The truth is, not all of our dreams will come to fruition, and when reality does come crashing down, we need to be humble enough to remember that our way is not always God’s way and still live a life of love despite the disappointment, remembering that love “came to us first” to gain for us what we could never earn on our own.
“Hallelujah” indeed!
I used to think that I could change the world
Write a song to make me rich and famous
Mine would be a name that you’d read all about
But then reality came crashing down
I used to think that I could save the world
Write a song that said nothing in particular
Pretend that I was worthy of the words beneath the words
But then reality came and kissed my chin
Reality came and settled right in
Dreams don’t mean all that much If we can’t find ourselves In the dust that shapes the ground When reality comes crashing down
There are no lost souls, only hopeless ones
Love is a cause for constant celebration
It binds and affords what our wallets cannot purchase
Hallelujah, it came to us first
So, son, don’t waste your words tuned to a whim
Cast out your net and slowly drag it back in
Your catch may be small and your belly may burn
But live for the language that speaks few words
Live for the language of love
I think I first saw the name Eric Peters in a tweet from Andrew Peterson (you can never go wrong with his recommendations!); from there I somehow stumbled upon the rave reviews of his latest album, Birds of Relocation, and with people saying Peters’ music landed somewhere between Andrew Peterson and Jason Gray in many ways, I knew I would like it… and I was right.
I’ve been listening to this album constantly for the past couple months since I got it, even with other excellent new releases here and there (seriously, of the folks who listened to them who wasn’t totally thrilled with the new Jars of Clay and Derek Webb albums? So good!). It’s sometimes melancholy, often upbeat, usually catchy, and always hopeful. Peters possesses a similar lyrical prowess to songwriters like Andrew Peterson who are able to communicate their joys and struggles in such a beautifully poetic way. For instance, on “The Old Year (of Denial),” he sings, “I’m gonna live like a living soul / Gonna write it on my wretched bones / And stop waiting for happily ever after.” Meanwhile, in the stunning “Voices” he sings, “Everything about my weakness that is strong / Everything about the heart that could go wrong / Every hope that ever lived there but has since flown / I’m finding again, finding again.” I love the concept of the album too, that like birds who relocate for the harsh season of the year, we too can always “relocate on boughs of hope” and say goodbye to our sin and fears through Christ’s saving work in us. I also appreciate the reminder that although the journey can be treacherous and difficult, “the sky must be enjoyed.”
I do hope you’ll give this album a chance. It’s not on Spotify or YouTube or anything, you’d actually have to buy it (GASP!), but seriously, this album is SO worth your money ($9 to be exact, if you go to Amazon MP3). If you want to check out a couple standout tracks first, I’d especially recommend “Voices,” “Lost and Found,” and “No Stone Unturned.” However, my favorite moment on the album is definitely at the very end of the last track, “Fighting For Life;” I’ll leave you with those lyrics:
I go into the darkness carrying a light
I will have no fear because I’m not alone
I got angels’ voices and friends who love me for who I am
So when the waters come
I fly above this flooded earth looking for a sign of life
And I relocate on boughs of hope,
Like a living soul, remembering that
In a little while, in a little while
The ghosts return to noise
Ooh, but not right now, not right now
The sky must be enjoyed.
Recently I’ve been introduced to some Christian music from the 80’s and 90’s I hadn’t heard before and it’s been pretty fun! I recently bought a CD by Rich Mullins, who I know has had a huge influence on Andrew Peterson, who I believe to be the best Christian songwriter around today, and I’m really enjoying that album now. In fact, from my tireless observations of the Christian music world as we know it, I would say that Andrew Peterson is one of the few artists in the industry who are writing songs of that caliber. The stuff you hear on the radio isn’t all bad, but if you hold it up next to songs people like Rich Mullins, Keith Green, or Bryan Duncan were writing 20-30 years ago, they just don’t compare.
With that, I thought I’d share a few songs that have stuck out to me as a bit of a blast from the past of Christian music. The links below will take you to YouTube uploads of the songs, and I’ve also included links to the lyrics. I hope you enjoy them!
Audrey has done it again… her beautiful and excellent performance aside, I love the simple yet profound chorus and bridge to this song. After singing about the troubles and sorrows of life, the simple response of, “You are good to me” reminds me that all God does is worthy of approval, for His glory, and for my good. He is so good to us!
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (Psalm 23:6)
I put all my hope in the truth of Your promise
And I steady my heart on the ground of Your goodness
When I’m bowed down with sorrow I will lift up Your name
And the foxes in the vineyard will not steal my joy
Because You are good to me, good to me
I lift my eyes to the hills where my help is found
Your voice fills the night–raise my head up and hear the sound
Though fires burn all around me I will praise You, my God
And the foxes in the vineyard will not steal my joy
Because You are good to me, good to me
Your goodness and mercy shall follow me all my life
I will trust in Your promise
Joe Zamolo
Tuning My Heart 