Lent: A bizarre love triangle
Every time I think of you
I feel shot right through with a bolt of blue
It's no problem of mine but it's a problem I find
Living a life that I can't leave behind
No doubt, it’s not what New Order was singing about but I’m involved in a bizarre love triangle. The three sides are God, the World and me. Traditionally during Lent, we’re supposed to give up some indulgence. I’m not doing that this year. I’m not sure that denying the World is in my nature. Even God seems to have a love-hate relationship with the World. In John 3:16 the Bible says that he loves the world enough to send His Son, but in John 16:33 He talks about overcoming the World. I may be taking this a bit out of context but overcoming is what you do to an enemy.
There's no sense in telling me
The wisdom of a fool won't set you free
But that's the way that it goes
And it's what nobody knows
While every day my confusion grows
The love of the World is not unconditional. Sometimes to enjoy what the World offer we have to ignore what’s right. The World likes to have its own way. But the World is actually the only thing I know for sure. Its reality in my life is undeniable. It’s also comforting, at least as a comfortable, middle-class American. However, God has put a gnawing inside of me that tells me that there is something illusionary about the reality to which I’ve grown accustomed.
I feel fine and I feel good
I'm feeling like I never should
Whenever I get this way, I just don't know what to say
Why can't we be ourselves like we were yesterday
The Gospel tells us we can’t serve two masters. And the reality is we can’t have two true loves either. When I accepted Christ’s love I was changed. The Holy Spirit entered into me and started to uproot the things of the World from my life. But roots run deep, or more accurately I like to hold on to them.
I'm not sure what this could mean
I don't think you're what you seem
I do admit to myself
That if I hurt someone else
Then I'll never see just what we're meant to be
There was a time in my life that I thought I understood God. He was a tangible reality in my life. I could talk to Him. Then he disappeared. I went looking for Him and I still am. Hating the things that I love and loving the things that I hate has brought me to a state of comfortable apathy. But I’m uncomfortable with that. One of the things reading Pilgrim's Progress taught me is that while our journey takes place in the World that’s not where the destination is. It comes down to how much tearing pain can we endure to find out what we are meant to be.
As many times as I’ve heard this song and read the lyrics I’ve never been sure who is singing to who during the refrain.
Every time I see you falling
I get down on my knees and pray
I'm waiting for that final moment
You'll say the words that I can't say
I feel shot right through with a bolt of blue
It's no problem of mine but it's a problem I find
Living a life that I can't leave behind
No doubt, it’s not what New Order was singing about but I’m involved in a bizarre love triangle. The three sides are God, the World and me. Traditionally during Lent, we’re supposed to give up some indulgence. I’m not doing that this year. I’m not sure that denying the World is in my nature. Even God seems to have a love-hate relationship with the World. In John 3:16 the Bible says that he loves the world enough to send His Son, but in John 16:33 He talks about overcoming the World. I may be taking this a bit out of context but overcoming is what you do to an enemy.
There's no sense in telling me
The wisdom of a fool won't set you free
But that's the way that it goes
And it's what nobody knows
While every day my confusion grows
The love of the World is not unconditional. Sometimes to enjoy what the World offer we have to ignore what’s right. The World likes to have its own way. But the World is actually the only thing I know for sure. Its reality in my life is undeniable. It’s also comforting, at least as a comfortable, middle-class American. However, God has put a gnawing inside of me that tells me that there is something illusionary about the reality to which I’ve grown accustomed.
I feel fine and I feel good
I'm feeling like I never should
Whenever I get this way, I just don't know what to say
Why can't we be ourselves like we were yesterday
The Gospel tells us we can’t serve two masters. And the reality is we can’t have two true loves either. When I accepted Christ’s love I was changed. The Holy Spirit entered into me and started to uproot the things of the World from my life. But roots run deep, or more accurately I like to hold on to them.
I'm not sure what this could mean
I don't think you're what you seem
I do admit to myself
That if I hurt someone else
Then I'll never see just what we're meant to be
There was a time in my life that I thought I understood God. He was a tangible reality in my life. I could talk to Him. Then he disappeared. I went looking for Him and I still am. Hating the things that I love and loving the things that I hate has brought me to a state of comfortable apathy. But I’m uncomfortable with that. One of the things reading Pilgrim's Progress taught me is that while our journey takes place in the World that’s not where the destination is. It comes down to how much tearing pain can we endure to find out what we are meant to be.
As many times as I’ve heard this song and read the lyrics I’ve never been sure who is singing to who during the refrain.
Every time I see you falling
I get down on my knees and pray
I'm waiting for that final moment
You'll say the words that I can't say