I heard the news at the same time as everyone else
And I waited to see the remains of a fallout
Isolated in loneliness, I kept my thoughts to myself
And I tried to get rid of the lingering doubt
It’s been a while since I’ve written something for this blog. A week of midterms followed by a week of Spring Break and then followed by a week of quarantine has made this week memorable and unique all the same.
When I left for Oklahoma to be a part of Campus Christian Fellowship’s service week over Spring Break, I did not expect to have the world inundated with a panic over a global pandemic during my absence. I did not expect universities across the nation to shift all of their coursework online over a matter of days. But most of all, I did not anticipate such an unexpected Sabbath.
Last week, I got the chance to talk with someone that I never thought I would get the chance to talk to – an Anglican priest. Suffice to say, Anglican priests are not exactly a dime a dozen in Kirksville, Missouri, so when I got the chance to talk with one, I jumped at it.
Sometimes a room is so dark that
to flood it with a beacon would blind all inside it
The room needs the light but
You don’t want to hurt those sitting silent within
I’ve been thinking a lot about glory recently. I can’t really pin down what exactly started it. Politicians seeking it, athletes chasing it, people wanting it, and at the same time it feels like nobody it getting any and everyone is getting some. Whether or not these people deserve it is another argument altogether, and one I know I am wholly unequipped and unqualified to do to.
The idea has been bouncing around in my head for a little while. And when I was gifted C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce for Christmas, I didn’t really expect to touch much on the topic. I mean, how much can the topic of glory find its way into a tale that is telling the great separation of Heaven and Hell?
It turns out, it’s surprisingly prevalent.
Like any boy growing up, when the post-grunge rock era of music became a possibility to listen to, I dove right in. Something about the high levels of distortion on the guitar and the raging drum solos made me feel like I was capable of rebellion, all while certain of the fact I never would.
One of the bands that arguably defined my taste in music for that period (you know, that period of fake rebellion) was Switchfoot.
I thought I would write another Christian Creative, and thought I would finally tackle one of my favorite, but if we are being honest, one of the most challenging artists for me to listen to for a few reasons.
So that being said, let’s talk about Gungor.
I dipped the bread and waited
And for the first time the juice
As it soaked the bread to where
A bead of juice rolled down my hand
Every once in a while you come across a song that is so fantastic and beautifully written it requires a full-blown, in-depth analysis due to how well the lyrics are composed. It’s that song that when you hear it and you understand the lyrics for the first time, you are pulled to listening to it over and over again – trying to hear the intricate melodies and harmonies, working to understand the subtle nuances in the words chosen. That song for me is “Belly of the Deepest Love” by Tow’rs.
It’s been a little while since I highlighted a Christian Creative on this website, and so I figured it was about time for me to return to old habits (That is what the new year is for, right?). Today I’m going to be talking about a personal favorite of mine. He’s a musician that has been able to walk the line between large-scale contemporary Christian music and individualistic creations with relative ease and grace.
So, let’s talk about John Mark McMillan.