Maybe This World is a Barren Place June 17, 2008
Posted by Anya in : I won't keep things purposely vague , trackbackWatch this to get started: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfeXxkbgCVE
It is rather mind-boggling how many people we walk past every day with problems. That we have no idea… and barely even notice that they’re there.
That bothers me.
On the other hand, it’s a good thing that we don’t have those glasses. It would be far too easy to become overwhelmed at the needs and despair, or become overwhelmed and grow cold to them.
Still.
Relient K was onto something with their song Give Until There’s Nothing Left. And Pastor M is big on the same point. Are we planning to rust and fall apart in God’s service — being unused? Or are we going to fall apart because we wear out?
What scares me rather more than all the people in Wal*Mart I walk past, not knowing nor really caring, what their problems are, is when I wonder what’s going on with the people I think I do know.
It comes back to Steve Garber’s line that I remember a lot: “Only connect.” I can’t connect with everyone… that makes me sad. But I love connections (in pretty much all areas of life!) and when I have them, I want to figure out what is making people tick; what we have in common, what we have that we disagree on but can talk about without killing each other. (Always a desirable thing, I think!)
The song Real by Plumb made me think about one of the times where I’ve seen how miserably connections failed.
…Well be pleased world
If this is what you wanted
This young girl is everything that you made
What will she say
Aren’t I lovely?
And do you want me? cause
I am hungry for something that will make me real
Can you see me? and
Do you love me? cause
I am desperately searching for something
Real…
Some people I know have accused me of reacting too violently and with too much shock to sinful behaviors. It does tend to shock me when people sin. That is kind of surprising in itself, since I do believe in total depravity. Still. When I find out that a girl who came to a VBS where I was working has been pregnant, it jolts me. It makes me wonder where the connections broke down, between what we taught at VBS and how it’s been lived out. I remember talking and laughing with her, hearing about her escapades in cooking chicken on their grill… perfectly ordinary things. And now I see her looking for love in so many wrong places, and that hurts.
It is part of living in a fallen world; things hurt. But growing accustomed to them being that way cannot be a good thing. Jesus had compassion on the people whom He saw when they were being led astray. Compassion doesn’t make life easy, but who said that life is supposed to be easy? The Princess Bride is hardly an oft-quoted theological source, but Westley does have a point. “Life is pain… anyone who says differently is selling something.”
Jesus, it should be noted, did not promise that life wouldn’t be painful. Instead, He said, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
In Romans 12, Paul tells us how we are about to be overcoming. He wrote, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
The very imagery of “overcoming” suggests something hard, that we have to wrestle for, fight for, and possibly die for.
thumbs out on a desert road I am told
leads to nowhere
any shade is as good as the next
if your shadow doesn’t go thereweek seven: Did you really assume
I’d find some solace from the letter in your room?
next life, could you kindly refrain
from throwing yourself at the mercy of a train?
silence all, nobody breathe
how in the world could you just leave?
you promised you would
silence that evil with good
hear me out, I have the floor
I’ll give you my tears, I’ll listen more
you promised you would
overcome evil with good
maybe this world is a barren place for a soul
prone to get lost
but heaven still hounds from the smallest sounds
to the cries of the storm-tossed
week nine: I am writing in the sand
any little clue that could help me understand
every whispered secret, every muffled sigh
every half-truth that was added to a lie
silence all, nobody move
I’ve got to know now what you hoped to prove
you promised you would
silence that evil with good
shame feeds guilt, guilt needs release
you took it to God
you made your peace
and swore that you would
overcome evil with good
every old demon playing back the crime
if they needed blood, I’d have gladly given mine
a Child of the Kingdom; still an invalid
forgive her, please Father
she don’t know what she did
silence all, now go to sleep
the water’s free, the well is deep
how can we return
that which we never could earn?
God, I long to see her face
we haven’t a hope
beyond Your grace
I know that You will
overcome evil
for good
[Newboys, Elle G]
They nailed it. Our only hope for overcoming the evil and the pain which we see in the world all around us is the grace of God. But it is a sure hope. And we are called to be ambassadors of that hope as God works through us to bring it to the world.
To do that, we need to know people.
God calls us to a very messy life, but the reward is great.
So keep your eyes open for what is going on in other people. I know this was sort of long, and disconnected, for which I apologize. If you have ideas on ways to make this post flow better, let me know. And if there is something that I ought to be doing to connect, but am not, let me know.
God promises a love that makes us real and overcomes the barrenness of this world, offering hope to “souls prone to get lost”.
Isaiah 54
1 “Sing, O barren one, who did not bear;
break forth into singing and cry aloud,
you who have not been in labor!
For the children of the desolate one will be more
than the children of her who is married,” says the Lord.
2 “Enlarge the place of your tent,
and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out;
do not hold back; lengthen your cords
and strengthen your stakes.
3 For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left,
and your offspring will possess the nations
and will people the desolate cities.
4 “Fear not, for you will not be ashamed;
be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced;
for you will forget the shame of your youth,
and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.
5 For your Maker is your husband,
the Lord of hosts is his name;
and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,
the God of the whole earth he is called.
6 For the Lord has called you
like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit,
like a wife of youth when she is cast off,
says your God.
7 For a brief moment I deserted you,
but with great compassion I will gather you.
8 In overflowing anger for a moment
I hid my face from you,
but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,”
says the Lord, your Redeemer.
9 “This is like the days of Noah to me:
as I swore that the waters of Noah
should no more go over the earth,
so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you,
and will not rebuke you.
10 For the mountains may depart
and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,”
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
11 “O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted,
behold, I will set your stones in antimony,
and lay your foundations with sapphires.
12 I will make your pinnacles of agate,
your gates of carbuncles,
and all your wall of precious stones.
13 All your children shall be taught by the Lord,
and great shall be the peace of your children.
14 In righteousness you shall be established;
you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
and from terror, for it shall not come near you.
15 If anyone stirs up strife,
it is not from me;
whoever stirs up strife with you
shall fall because of you.
16 Behold, I have created the smith
who blows the fire of coals
and produces a weapon for its purpose.
I have also created the ravager to destroy;
17 no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed,
and you shall confute every tongue that rises against you in judgment.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord
and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.”
Comments»
This is a great post, Anya…
Do you know what it’s like to go to someone else’s blog and read a post that you agree with so completely it could have been yours?
That’s what I feel like much of the time at your blog.
This is so beautiful, the video especially - I sent it to a bunch of people. Thank you.
Seize The Day!
-StrongJoy
Great post. I kind of felt the same this week at Worldview Academy, especially when we went out witnessing on Wednesday. We met so many people who rejected the truth - they were dead and didn’t even know it. It broke my heart. But the best we can do is to try and spread the truth to everyone we meet, and pray that the Lord will turn them to Himself.
You went to Worldview Academy??? I wondered where you were! How was it? *will send you a letter soon*
You know I’ve had “maybe this world is a barren place for a soul
prone to get lost but heaven still hounds from the smallest sounds
to the cries of the storm-tossed”stuck in my head for three days now…and I’ve never even heard the song! It sort of reminds me of “The Yearning” (awesome song- it changed life) by the Lost Dogs.
Anyway, just thought I’d tell you that…
Seize The Day!
-StrongJoy