Friends, I've been quite remiss at adding new material to my JAM Session blog. I took vacation in February and then life got a bit busy. Then after that I just was out of the habit.
During Lent, I practiced the Daniel Fast. It's not really a fast. It's more of a strict diet meant for spiritual purposes. It definitely has healthy benefits. It's basically a vegan diet with a few other limitations like whole grains only and no yeast. I was supposed to drink water only, but I allowed myself herbal teas, but kept to the no caffeine restriction.
I practice some kind of Lenten observance for the sake of setting myself aside for God in a more intense and focused way than other times of the year. I find it rewarding. Easter was wonderfully uplifting, for I reminded myself often when I had cravings for foods I was denying myself, that I needed God more than I needed foods like hamburgers, coffee, or sugary sweet desserts. I experienced some sort of reward because I felt wonderfully joyful on Easter Sunday. You could say I found what I was looking for.
Bono, from the Irish band U2, penned "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" for the Joshua Tree album released in 1987. The track eventually reached number one on the charts and was included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's list of "500 Songs That Shaped Rock 'N' Roll."
The song has an interesting development in that it originally was chosen from jam session demos because of a unique drum beat laid down by Larry Mullen, Jr. The guitarist Edge found the song to be a bit too simplistic. Bono was interested in the theme of spiritual searching. Edge finally found the right words for the hook. Written on a piece of paper, Edge handed Bono, while he was in the midst of singing during recordings, the words, "I still haven't found what I'm looking for." That phrase lead to the rest of the song. I just seemed to fit.
Here's a video from the lads from Dublin. http://youtu.be/EabB55IYyOg
Look at the lyrics.
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - U2
I have climbed the highest mountains
I have run through the fields
Only to be with you
Only to be with you
I have run I have crawled
I have scaled these city walls
These city walls
Only to be with you
But I still haven't found
What I'm looking for
But I still haven't found
What I'm looking for
I have kissed honey lips
Felt the healing in the fingertips
It burned like fire
This burning desire
I have spoke with the tongue of angels
I have held the hand of a devil
It was one empty night
I was cold as a stone
But I still haven't found
What I'm looking for
But I still haven't found
What I'm looking for
I believe when the Kingdom comes
Then all the colors will bleed into one
Bleed into one
But yes I'm still running.
You broke the bonds
You loosened the chains
You carried the cross
Of my shame
Of my shame
You know I believed it
But I still haven't found
What I'm looking for
But I still haven't found
What I'm looking for
But I still haven't found
What I'm looking for
But I still haven't found
What I'm looking for
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bono doesn't consider himself a very good Christian, but he feels a responsibility to use the stage he's been given to do good. Bono has sort of a love/hate relationship with the church. He loves the faith. He loves Jesus and tries to follow Him. He doesn't appreciate the lip service of the church. The church has grown ineffective in its mission to reach the world for Christ. (At least that is how I read him.)
The song expresses the search for God. He's tried all kinds of things for the purpose of being with God. It sounds like a love relationship, but one that never seems to bring the singer to complete satisfaction.
The bible makes some good promises to seekers and searchers. When God sent Israel into exile for the nation's unfaithfulness, God sent prophets to encourage them. He would bring them back home, when their hearts turned back to God.
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (Jer 29:13)
The writer of Hebrews says the search for God requires faith. He defines faith as "confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." (Heb 11:1)
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Heb 11:6)
We must believe God exists in order to search for God and have the conviction that our search will be rewarded. Faith is more a journey, a lifestyle, than it is a destination. Faith is a relationship with God which is ever unfolding and ever deepening. To say one has not found what they're looking for is reasonably expected for all people of faith. God is leading us ever deeper into Himself, a journey that takes a lifetime.
While we may not reach some state of perfect knowledge or perfect peace, we will reach a place of assurance that our life of faith is a reward in itself. Seekers will relish in the search of more treasure since on the way they finds bits and pieces of gold and jewelry pointing to the great store. Jesus once spoke of the kingdom of heaven being like treasure.
Christians, like Bono, have discovered enough of God in Jesus Christ, to be able to know that they do not need to look any further than Jesus. Their search for God continues through their ever growing relationship with the Lord. It is a search that will be rewarded again and again, always leaving us with a desire to journey further. We want more of what God gives.
And so let the words of Jesus to the early disciples be a word to you who seek.
"Come and see." (Jn 1:39)
Lord Jesus, help us to see that you are all we are searching for. Keep us ever true in our reach for You. Satisfy our hearts, but never let us decide we have discovered all there is to know about You. Keep us always learning and growing in Your love and grace. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment