So a good friend of mine posted this song on his Facebook page today (thanks, homey). 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0TNR_9OxBQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player


I've never heard it before or of this artist. I love this song...the music and the lyrics. I listened to it a couple of times then checked out some info about the song online and came upon a website where different people post their thoughts about what a song's lyrics may or may not mean.

My take is that it is a love song (obviously) and one that could be seen as possible a song about the love of God or the love between people. The site I found had people posting similar thoughts...so, that's cool. Then I found one well written and thought-provoking post. Here's a portion of the post and why I find it a little disconcerting.

"I pray that I am wrong, because this song sounds like she is having a hard time. But given my finite-ness, only a bit of information and no perception of Lights motive/heart in writing, this is of course opinion. But it has encouraged me to pray for the broken hearted. Also, not to sound preachy, but if you are feeling broken hearted, you've had a tough relationship with God or you feel you're too dirty to come back to God...I just really want to encourage you to come home. Jesus cleans us of all sin, and he desperately wants to see you again. He remade my heart, he can do yours too. Love you guys."

I hear this person's heart of compassion and a genuine burden for other's to know God's love as he/she does. Nothing they say directly bothers or offends me. Here, though, is what I find more than a little confusing (and not just in the post but in my life experience in general):

When did faith in God become faith that does not struggle with the normal feelings and thoughts that all humans have? When did Christianity become so focused on the "victory" of the faith...the almost incessant focus on "overcoming" any and all struggles in life...that we hear so little about the truth that - sometimes life just sucks.

I have tried to teach my kids that, "When life is good, God is there. When life is hard, God is there." Faith that only sees the supposedly "positive" aspects of our existence is a one-sided faith...and one that I think is hiding a deep fear that maybe our faith...or even God...is not enough when we can't answer the hard question, "If God is all-loving and all-powerful then why do bad things happen to good people?" And whatever answer I might try to provide or theological perspective you may try to use to explain why a Good God allows evil and pain (and there are many great books and explanations by truly great minds that deal with these hard questions) the truth is that no answer is completely satisfactory in and of itself. It is only a close approximation at best of what the full truth is.

In the end, we can live with a secure faith and still struggle and wonder "why?" I believe God is much less vexed by the question that comes from a genuine heart than the quick and easy answer we give because we don't want to listen to the burden that another is feeling crushed under.

If you think God is not comfortable with people shaking their fist in the air and screaming "Why, God?"...then I would say spend some time in the Bible and see the pain expressed that GOD allows us to see there. You may want to start with the book of Psalms.

When life is good...God is there.
When life is hard...God is there.

Love you guys,
CL