Friday, January 29, 2016

How We Survive

It is said that the voice of God can be found in many places. In the sweet chatter of birds, the laughter shared between friends, the silence of a dark room... The Lord speaks to us in countless and often unexpected ways. But I was especially surprised to hear Him speaking in a most unlikely place: through the lyrics of a high-octane, metalcore song.

Friends of mine might know that hard rock and metal are among my favorite genres of music a preference that may seem to conflict with a Christian lifestyle, but skeptics might find an amusing example in the work of Fratello Metallo so I am always delighted whenever I discover a musical piece with a powerful sound and a message which, intentionally or not, speaks to the God-seeking heart. Such was the case when I heard Wage War's "Twenty One." An intense piece which reflects on the trials and tribulations of growing up, I was nearly floored by a few key lines that made a subliminal reference to the trust we are told to place in God's loving mercy. (Even so, I do not expect it to be endorsed by the Holy See any time soon.) I would like to explore with you through a Christian lens that hidden, if not entirely deliberate, message in the style of a Genius post.

For those who would like to hear the song, I have inserted the official music video below. WARNING: As a metalcore piece it is loud and has a heavy sound; those readers with finer sensibilities may wish to skip ahead. I have reproduced the lyrics (with friendly edits) from the YouTube page below the clip.


They say that there's no hope
Don't think, do what you're told... No
 
An obvious declaration of defiance, these lines sound as though they are coming directly from the mouth of an angst-ridden teenager who has had his fill with being told to conform to a certain set of expectations. In our spiritual lives, how often have we (erroneously) felt that the tenets of Christian living have pigeonholed us into a rigid kind of existence? Sought to defy those principles in order to pursue what we believed was actually best for ourselves? There is a word for that: sin. We are all guilty of it.

There is a second way we can interpret these lyrics. The devil, working through the manifestation of evil in the world, tries very hard to convince us that there is no hope for deliverance. In this way, he hopes to close our minds to the workings of evil and lure us into the state of complacency which holds many of our brothers and sisters captive. Do we have the courage to then challenge the devil and turn back to God?

We've lost our way
Abandoned foundations on which we were made
We're all dying of the same disease
I looked for the answer and the problem was me 

Any honest Christian will admit to the fact that he/she has been led astray by temptation and sin, forsaking the holiness to which the Lord has called him/her. We are modeled in the image and likeness of God, and yet by our own free will we choose to renounce this rock of salvation (cf. Psalm 62) to seek a different path, only to find ourselves traveling in endless, self-destructive circles. Our waywardness is the unfortunate consequence of original sin the "same disease" and it has indeed cost us our bodily immortality. Mercifully, by the grace of God we are able to seek reconciliation for our transgressions. But until we do so we need to be wary of one of the devil's favorite lies: that we cannot be forgiven. In the performance of the song, the sense of desperation and finality of a sinful state is quite evident in the delivery of this stanza, especially in the first line. 

[Bridge]
All along we've been searching for a place to call our home
You and I will never learn if we try to do this on our own

In all our longings in this life there is one common denominator: the desire to find somewhere or someone who will take us in and give us the safety and security that we so earnestly crave. It is a basic human need to feel loved and in the fullest possible way; that is, in the way that only the Almighty can provide. We devote so much of our energies towards finding this sense of belonging, even in unholy pursuits. As the Catholic novelist Bruce Marshall once wrote (the quote is often incorrectly attributed to G. K. Chesterton), "The young man who rings the bell at the brothel is unconsciously looking for God."

The second line of the bridge is pretty straightforward. Try as we might, we can never hope to understand our longings unless we are humble enough to admit our ignorance and seek help from God through the inspired wisdom and experiences of His people. Says a Danish proverb, "He who is afraid of asking is ashamed of learning."

[Chorus]
Underneath it all we are all the same (All the same)
Never knowing where to go, lost in our way
Can we ever escape? Can we decide our fate?

Echoing the earlier sentiment that we are all alike in our brokenness, the chorus explicitly raises the question of whether or not we can put an end to our cyclic waywardness and come to travel the righteous path. Our earthly journey is riddled with doubt, so escape from our sinfulness can seem unattainable. A certain fallen angel would undoubtedly celebrate a surrender to doubt. But the vigilant Christian knows that surrender to a higher authority is what enables him/her to overcome these uncertainties and free him/herself from the bonds of sin.

Let go...
I'm more than familiar with feeling like I've failed to meet everyone's expectations

When every definition of success becomes different, it's hard to really feel like you're making a difference

This portion appears to mark the beginning of a shift in the speaker's thinking. He seems to recognize an emptiness in the world's demands, demands that can be so dissimilar that it becomes impossible to satisfy anyone. Consequently we cannot find a sense of fulfillment. In such a scenario, all we are left with is a feeling of loss and failure. This is not the life God intends for us.

They say that there's no hope
Don't think, do what you're told
Dare to be different, to break the mold
Live your life with intention, go forth and be bold

With a feral yell that announces the speaker's realization of the madness that plays out in this world, the song's opening lines are reproached and completely turned on their head. As Christians we are set apart as "a chosen race" (cf. 1 Peter 2:9) to stand out. This becomes a very daunting task in a society that demands complacency towards the state of affairs. It is all the more daunting when that same society celebrates diversity but selectively discriminates against particular groups and philosophies. Nonetheless, we are told to "be strong and steadfast," to "not fear nor be dismayed," because the Lord has promised to walk with us throughout the journey (cf. Joshua 1:9). It takes great courage to be different for God, but that is the calling bestowed on us in our baptismal vows.

[Bridge]

Why do we try to overcomplicate the things that used to be so simple? 
So step back, you'll be able to see that your purpose in life is not just to be

The outrage in these lyrics — and not to mention their sick (in the positive sense of the word) rhythmic delivery are unmistakable. Much in life is complex, but in hearing this first line I am inclined to think of how we as people have an unfortunate tendency to complicate relationships in every form: relatives, friends, partners, etc. We frequently set unfairly high expectations for people, especially for those to whom we feel close (or want to be close). This can lead to broken relationships, and then we brood over them as they continue to deteriorate without our efforts to mend them. As these relationships languish their complexity only compounds with our desire to fix them running counter to the instinct to preserve our pride. And we wind up being angry and confused.

Because Christ instructed us to live with a simple, childlike faith (cf. Matthew 18:2-4) we ought to embrace opportunities for simplicity. The love of God is perfect; therefore, elegant; therefore, simple. This is the kind of love that we should feel for one another, not one that manufactures unreasonable expectations. Relationships need to grow and evolve naturally, a difficult truth to accept when we as human beings want things to transpire in a particular way on our timescale. Even so, to secure our relationship to the Father He asks for only one simple thing from us: everything. Our understanding of and participation in that love develops with time and patience, but the conditions for starting along that road could not be more clearly defined.

Are we as children of God called to live a passive existence? Far from it. Jesus tells us that he "came so that [we] might have life and have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). Moreover, we are entrusted with spreading the Good News, "glorying the Lord by your life" (that should sound familiar to all you churchgoers). It is impossible to comprehend the gravity of this summons and not feel compelled to act upon it. In baptism we share in Christ's inheritance to the Kingdom of Heaven, but it requires some work on our part. Says St. Francis of Assisi, "Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words." This is how we participate in God's love.

[Chorus x 2]

I've come to grips with the fact that I'll never be able to change my own past

But I've found strength in divine perspective
It took me twenty one years to realize: Hope, Love, and Faith are how we survive
Grace sustains me, pain has ending... There's still hope

These are the lines that grabbed my attention. While we are alone powerless to make recompense for our past trespasses, God has blessed us with the tools to move beyond our transgressions. Of course, it takes time for us to grow and reach spiritual maturity (hence, "twenty one years"), but as we approach this stage — though I would argue we never quite achieve it until we see the Father face-to-face — we come to realize that "faith, hope, [and] love remain" (1 Corinthians 13:13) and are undeniably the means by which we persevere in our earthly lives. As the visceral performance of these last lines of lyrics suggests there will be suffering in the meanwhile, but we cling to the hope that Christ will be there waiting for us with open arms when the pain is finally at an end.

But just in case you would like some more tangible (and maybe less scary) Christian survival tips, here's an idea from Pinterest:

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/2d/e1/50/2de150230e09362ef19e583d934284bb.jpg 

May this rather unorthodox example of seeking God be a reminder that He meets us whenever, wherever, and whoever we are, and is our "strength and [our] shield" (Psalm 28:7) throughout this pilgrimage of life.