Psalm 27: 13 (NKJV): I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
John 16:33 (NIV): I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
This song’s percussive rhythm over a droning low open D string immediately pulls the listener in. Simple, yet effective. The song’s use of short phrasing seems to synch perfectly with the staccato attack on the chords letting the listener have the moment needed to process the use of metaphor in what could easily be dismissed as a cryptic song carrying to real value. They’d be wrong. The lyrics set the perfect stage for the use of metaphor and simile to paint an awesome picture of futility. The repeated use of seemingly contrasting objects against their environment help us see a story unfold where anything done has no impact, presumably on the narrator’s relationship. Brilliant songwriting.
It never ends does it? The pain, suffering, calamities, they all keep coming. Wars, hunger, homelessness, famine, drought, murder, persecution, abuse…it’s enough to make anyone, even the most fervent believer throw their hands in the air and declare it pointless. The state of the planet and the occupants that call it home seem to be bent on destroying one another and we can watch it unfold in real-time. The world beyond our own borders is literally one click away on our keyboards, so we can see the suffering and graphic, violent nature of humanity right in the comfort of our own homes. It’s enough to make anyone question where God is in all this or if He is even out there. It’s not a comfortable idea for the believer, but there seems to be no end in sight. The suffering continues and if we’re honest, it can be a test of faith at times. Every good deed, every attempt to bring peace, joy, or a bit of the Heavenly Kingdom into this broken world seems like a mere drop in the sea of unending turmoil, a ripple that changes so very little.
It would be easy to look at the broken world around us and ask, “where is God in all this hate and brokenness?” Many do ask that very question and it becomes the rock they build their empire of denial, doubt, and disdain for the living God and those who believe in Him on. As believers, it’s easy to get defensive, feel attacked and argue, fight…hate. But the questions from those who doubt are valid and understandable given the state of the broken world we live in. God sees the brokenness too. He knows it’s a result of the world given over to us in response to our attempt to do God’s job for Him. So yes, it’s a broken world and the question of “where is God?” in all this is valid and understandable. The answer to that question is…us. You and I, the believers. We are God’s representative here on Earth. We are the difference and what we do matters. We feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, dig the well, visit the prisoners, and forgive the unforgivable. We love the unlovable. Yes, even those who curse the God who hasn’t “fixed” the broken world around us. We help people learn about the world that awaits them free of pain and suffering.
What God desires is for us to build his kingdom, his church, brick by brick in the middle of a world that is crumbling around us. This world is temporary and was never designed for eternity. Our job is to bring a little of the kingdom of heaven here to Earth. That Kingdom may not look like much to the outsider, but once we introduce the occupants to the Landlord, He can begin to share with them the floor plan of what their future home will look like. He will give them the heart and mind to look beyond the brokenness and find glimpses of beauty that are mere reflections of the grandeur that awaits. Our Savior saw life beyond the broken world we live in. He was there in the beginning. He encouraged us to follow Him and offers us glimpses of the world and life to come. And He charged us with bringing as many as we can with us by sharing the love He has for us through our love for the world we currently live in.
Eternity is a really, really long time. It requires some time to reflect and begin to wrap our head around the notion of, well forever. No end. No death. Just eternal existence. But not just eternal existence, but one filled with love, joy, hope, and completely void of pain or suffering. One without any of the broken condition described above. This is not our home. We are in time out. Our Father will come and bring us home and what we do while we are here has eternal impact no matter how trivial or pointless it looks.