Today, I headed out from Rapid City, South Dakota for the Wilderness Medicine Institute in Wyoming. As I drove through a snow storm in the Bighorn Mountains I was jammin the new Audioslave album Revelations (don't worry, I was driving carefully), and I found some of the lyrics to the song Wide Awake to be very provacative:So come pull the sheet over my eyes
So I can sleep tonight
Despite what I've seen today
I find you guilty of a crime, of sleeping at a time
When you should have been wide awake
As I listened to the song several times in a row, I began to realize that this accusation could be true of almost any one of us. Despite living in a world with no shortage of starvation, injustice, dirty water, unreached people groups, AIDS, racism, greed, orphans, and darkness, we medicate with ultimately unimportant things like golf, skeet shooting, cars, houses, football, shopping, and new toys. Despite what we see each day, we continue to pull the sheets over our own eyes so that we can sleep at night. We are guilty of sleeping when we should be wide awake. God help us to wake up and stay awake. May we be people who push back darkness, and not just conveniently ignore it.
And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour?" -- Matthew 26:40
4 comments:
I'm still having hard time understanding the whole Audioslave craze, but you're not alone in your analytical approach to their lyrics. Check this out if you get a chance.
http://www.thecedarroom.org/archives/002303.html#002303
Mg,
I was listening to Mr. Cornell when he was still with Soundgarden. I was unaware that there was an Audioslave craze, but I'm glad to know there are others with good taste.
What are you doing with a CD you bought (at least I hope it wasn't ripped)? driving? Sheesh, the number of starving children that could be fed with that money...
But yeah, you're right: it is all too easy to get caught up in the world, to attempt to either "make a safe comfortable place" for one's self, to allow ourselves to be "medicated" with "bread and circuses", or to attept to use the system to "fix the problem". There is no end of the effort toward peace and justice, yet what did Christ say of this world? What transpired in Mat4:8-10? Satan can't give what isn't his to give, thus ALL the kingdoms of this world belong to Satan, and what did Christ say of his Kingdom? (it is not of this world). It's a huge topic, and I don't have the time to probe where you are at, nor to expound the subtle errors Satan has fed to so many that call themselves "Christians".
It seems on a quick read that you are "called", just not sure by whom. :) No offence intended, and I hope none taken.
Andy (cognativedissonanceDOTblogspotDOTcom)
Yes, I did buy a CD. Perhaps that money could have been better used to feed starving children. I'll have to give that some thought, although often the beautiful can be just as useful as the useful.
The Kingdom of God is indeed a huge topic and I don't suppose you or anyone else has enough time to
expound upon the subtle errors that Satan has fed to Christians. I can only pray that God would reveal to me the subtle errors in my life, and to you in yours.
Not sure what you mean by "called", but I can say that so far as I am able I strive to use my life to push back darkness, bring God's Kingdom, display the majesty of God, help others see and savor Jesus, and do my part in finishing the mission that Jesus left for his followers. Soli Deo Gloria.
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