UNSATISFIED

Have you ever felt unsatisfied in your relationship with Jesus? Have you ever been frustrated with your own spiritual walk with Him? Perhaps you assumed that it was because you weren’t a member of a better church, or maybe you were convinced it was because you weren’t spiritual enough, or praying enough, or reading the Bible enough?

Recently I had an epiphany of sorts as I listened to a friend of mine express a similar frustration. What I realized was this: We will never be fully satisfied spiritually until we see Jesus face to face.

And that’s a good thing, by the way.  

I think it is only because we are unsatisfied that we pursue Him more. Our awareness of a greater need for Jesus is partly how the Holy Spirit draws us nearer to our Lord.

What we should be most concerned about is a lack of desire to know Jesus more.

But here and now, the simple fact we must face is that if we are living in this flesh and blood reality we will never be fully satisfied. We also need to be careful not to diagnose this overwhelming dissatisfaction as a failure of our church family, or even our own lack of spiritual perfection. What’s missing is the full and complete presence of Jesus in our life. That’s what we’re longing for, and that is what we must pursue, but we have to do so without condemning ourselves, or others in the Body of Christ.

One day we will see Him face to face and then we will be satisfied in His presence. But here and now we are simply called to hunger for more hunger and to thirst for greater thirst. This holy desire draws us nearer to Jesus, but it will not ever be fully satisfied until we are physically in His arms.

“You broke the bonds and you loosed the chains; carried the cross of my shame. You know I believe it. But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.” – Bono, U2

Stay hungry.

-kg

A BEAUTIFUL DAY

Thanks to our friends, the Tagues (Kelly and Rachel) from the Mission, Wendy and I got to go see U2 live at the Rose Bowl yesterday.

By the grace of God, my friend Lito was in town and he managed to snag a ticket the night before.

We woke up at 7am, hit the road at 7:30am and arrived at the Rose Bowl at 8:40am. We got in the line and were given a number stamp (mine was 1205) and eventually a wristband which guaranteed our spot in the "inner circle" around the main stage.

After many hours hanging out we eventually made it inside the Rose Bowl. Over the day we had managed to get to know several people in line around us. It was pretty cool to be able to enjoy the show with these people. I don't know their names, but I will always remember:

*The girl with the red hair and her new husband. They had honeymooned in Wales and saw U2 there and now were seeing them for a second time on this tour. Thanks for sharing the night with us. It was beautiful to watch you two singing the lyrics to one another throughout the evening.

*The funny, tattoed-guy who pretended to be texting Bono. "Bono says fifteen minutes everyone. He's sorry for the delay." Thanks for helping all of us to remember that this was a beautiful day and making us all laugh together.

*The young Indian man who stood at my left shoulder during the show and worshipped during "Magnificent", "Where the Streets Have No Name" and "One". He and I both wiped away tears and even sang along loudly together during "Mysterious Ways" - 'If you wanna kiss the sky better learn how to kneel'. Thanks for reminding me that God's Family is bigger than I realize.

*The two seven foot tall guys who let us stand in front of them during Black-Eyed Peas and then lead us in closer just before U2 started saying, "Come on! You guys can stand in front of us." Thanks for giving us a great space to enjoy the show.

What an amazing night. To be able to share this with my wife, Wendy was incredible. We recently celebrated 20 years of marriage and 21 years of being in love. I couldn't have asked for a better memory to round out this month's anniversary remembrance.

How cool was it to share this memory with my oldest, and dearest friend Lito?

How incredible was it to know this was being broadcast globally via YouTube?

How amazing to know this evening was filmed for a concert DVD being released next year?

How awesome was it to enjoy all this absolutely free - thanks to our brother and sister in Christ, Kelly and Rachel Tague! (Thank you guys!)

So many other great memories of the night:

*Slash coming out to play "Sweet Child of Mine" with the Peas.

*Meeting the CEO of the company I work for for the first time because he and his wife were standing right behind us.

*Having Bono sing "I was born to sing for you" during the song "Magnificent" while he was directly above me on the moving catwalk. (I'll look for that on the DVD).

*Meeting the kid after the show who was holding the set list that The Edge had handed to him.

*Seeing how genuinely blessed and humbled Will.I.Am from the Peas was to be on that stage: "I grew up in the projects in East L.A. We used to drive over to watch the fireworks from the parking lot when I was little," he said. "Tonight I'm on the stage at the Rose Bowl singing to all of you. Thank you U2."

*Getting chills when the Peas sang "Where is the Love" and watching the faces of everyone around me as they belted out the words: "People killing people dying
Children hurtin you hear them crying. Can you practice what you preach
Would you turn the other cheek? Father Father Father help us, send some guidance from above, cause people got me got me questioning, where is the love?"

*Sensing the presence of God when Bishop Desmond Tutu said, "We will always have obstacles to justice, but if we work together God will put the wind into our sails and a song in our hearts. We are the people who will make a difference."

*Seeing Bono sing "Amazing Grace" with tears in his eyes through the tears in my eyes and singing along at the top of my lungs and thinking, "I have certainly been to Church today."

What more can be said? It was sincerely a Beautiful Day.

-kg

MAGNIFICENT - LIVE ON LETTERMAN

*See lyrics below

Magnificent

Magnificent

I was born
I was born to be with you
In this space and time
After that and ever after I haven't had a clue
Only to break rhyme
This foolishness can leave a heart black and blue

Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love can heal such a scar

I was born
I was born to sing for you
I didn’t have a choice but to lift you up
And sing whatever song you wanted me to
I give you back my voice
From the womb my first cry, it was a joyful noise…

Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love can heal such a scar

Justified till we die, you and I will magnify
The Magnificent
Magnificent

Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love unites our hearts

Justified till we die, you and I will magnify
The Magnificent
Magnificent
Magnificent

Lyrics by Bono, Music by U2 (from the album "No Line On The Horizon")

WHY I SHOULD NOT REVIEW THE NEW U2 CD

Every artist I know struggles with how the popular culture interacts with their art. Those who create visual art like paintings or literary art like poetry find the masses quite impatient and largely unwilling to spend any real time digesting or reflecting on the power of the art they've spent months creating.

In short, popular media has largely eliminated the instropective power of art to resonate within our souls and provoke us to reflect on deeper questions of faith, life, love and beauty. We're a sound bite culture. We're looking for music that rocks, fiction that tittilates, art that pops and poetry that reads like clever marketing copy. We're not looking for an opportunity to allow art to saturate our minds, resonate in our souls, probe our motives or reveal our inconsistencies.

People forget that U2's Josua Tree was their sixth record, not their first. It took them that long to invade the psyche of the average music fan. Even then, most of those who did embrace that dark snapshot of American consciousness did so because of a video they saw on MTV or perhaps the catchy melody of "With or Without You" got stuck in their heads. Many who purchased that seminal record failed to follow the band beyond the "Rattle and Hum" era and by the time "Achtung Baby" hit the shelves and the airwaves they had long since moved on to other musical soundscapes.

As someone who discovered U2 through a borrowed "Unforgettable Fire" album, I have to confess that it has taken repeated listens to fully appreciate the more recent catalog of the band. However, that process of slow dissemination is one of the reasons I so dearly love the band and their music.

I remember the first time I heard "The Fly". I had waited in front of my television set for two hours waiting for MTV to launch the "World Premiere" video of their new single from their hotly anticipated "Achtung Baby" Cd. When the song finished I remember blinking my eyes and saying to myself, "They've lost their minds".

My opinion didn't change much the evening I first heard the Cd in its entirety. I really only liked two of the songs ("One" and "So Cruel") and the rest I thought was a feeble attempt to be cool. However, as I continued to listen and translate the lyrics I found myself listening to this disc almost exclusively. Today it's still my all-time favorite U2 album, hands down.

Simply put, the average U2 song, and album, requires multiple listens to fully appreciate and that can be a dangerous thing in our sound bite culture. Even for someone who is predisposed to purchase everything they ever record, (and I nearly have), the first-time listen through their new music can be less than convincing.

The first time I heard "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" the band was playing it on Saturday Night Live just weeks before the "Atomic Bomb" Cd released. My wife and I listened to the lyrics and feared that Bono and his wife must have gotten a divorce. "And it's you when I don't pick up the phone. Sometimes you can't make it on your own." However, I later learned that this song was written for his dying father. Suddenly the song took on new, and profound meaning.

When I heard "Until The End of the World" for the first time I only heard a song they had written for another mediocre Wim Wenders movie. Later, when I heard Bono explain that it was sung from the point of view of Judas singing to Jesus after his betrayal the song became poignant beyond words and now I love it dearly.

The first listen through the "All That You Can't Leave Behind" album left me cold. However, after a dozen listens I found I couldn't make it through "Walk On" and "Kite" without tearing up. And even now I am still discovering new things to love about some of their songs that I've heard hundreds of times.

Because of this, I find it's best that I not attempt to review the new U2 Cd, "No Line On the Horizon" just yet. I've heard it online now about 3 times. The first time I heard the single "Get On Your Boots" I loved the music but the lyrics left me cold. I mean, seriously, "Get on your boots? Your sexy boots." Nothing close to the usual lyrical finesse found in their previous rock standards like "Elevation", "Vertigo" or even "Discoteque". But then I saw the video for the song and it shed new light on the song and the meaning behind it (which I now take to be the empowerment of women).

So, until after I've listend to the new U2 record a few hundred times I reserve the right not to review it or comment on how much I love, or don't love, their new songs.

Peace,
Keith

QUICK UPDATES

*Interviewed professor and author G.K. Beale yesterday about his book, "The Temple and the Church's Mission'. Should be published early next month in my [Subversive Underground] newsletter. Some might end up in my book-in-progress about the Church (as yet untitled).

*Grooving to sounds of first single from new U2 album "No Line On The Horizon" releasing March 3rd. The single, "Get Your Boots On" is a Led-Zep influenced chunk of fuzz slathered with a bit of pop and infused with soul. I've listened to it 4 times today already.

Check it yourself
HERE

*Looking forward to the Inauguration and praying for our new President.

*My youngest son, David told me that one of his friends said, "I hate Obama" and his response was, "Jesus said to love your enemies". So proud of my son.

*Visited Griffith Park Observatory with the family on Saturday. Marveled at the awesome creative power of Almighty God, and the blindness of so many to His Glory.

*Saw premiere episode of BSG last night and can't wait to see what's next.

*Waiting breathlessly for season premiere of LOST on Wednesday. Best show on TV.

*Planning to watch the original version of "Solaris" (not the Clooney remake) on Tuesday night.

*Nearly done reading PKD's "Now Wait For Last Year" and planning to tackle Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" after that.

*Considering seriously a revisit of my sci-fi concepts after an encouraging chat with friends last Friday concerning my "Hard Video" story. Still unsure about when and how.

*Realizing that everything in my life is a gift. God really loves me. I think I love Him too.

*My wife is my best friend and my hero. Without her my life would really suck.

*Back to work now. Must listen to U2 single many, many more times today.

Peas,
-kg