A Little Advice From Adam
Well mister, if you're going to walk on water
Could you drop a line my way?
The Counting Crows from their song Omaha
As is often the case, I have no idea what Adam Duritz is really singing about. One of the things I appreciate about the music of the Counting Crows is that while I rarely know specifically what is at stake in a song, the emotions that underlie the muddy lyrics still come through. I resonate with this style of music for the simple reason that my emotions do not always lead to coherent expression. As a person who spends a lot of time in his head, it is good for me to remember that some things aren’t always logical.
I do not know what, if any, faith Adam Duritz professes. I don’t know why he is referencing an act only performed successfully by one Individual in history. (All activities of the Basilisk lizard not withstanding….come on, we all watched the nature documentaries when we were little) For me, though, these lines almost perfectly encapsulate what it feels like to live the Christian life.
If those of us claiming the title of Christian are in fact supposed to be “Christ Followers” there is one little problem. We are not divine. In my wildly imperfect state, I ask myself how I am supposed to be like a God who does things I could never do. The balance of my time is spent floundering around instead of performing miracles. I am a person soaked with inadequacy, and yet, week after week I am bombarded with pastors, friends and books telling me that I need to give my best for Christ, and to be Jesus to the masses that do not know Him.
Sometimes I think the best I can do for Christ is ask for a little help. I have a feeling he is just waiting for a simple request that isn’t saturated with false humility, human agendas and greedy striving. (All of which I am perpetually guilty of.)
I am beginning to think that we humans are the only ones that really expect us to be like Christ. After all, He is the one who told us He wanted to live and work through us, not the other way around. Maybe an outstretched hand is what He is really hoping for.
Could you drop a line my way?
The Counting Crows from their song Omaha
As is often the case, I have no idea what Adam Duritz is really singing about. One of the things I appreciate about the music of the Counting Crows is that while I rarely know specifically what is at stake in a song, the emotions that underlie the muddy lyrics still come through. I resonate with this style of music for the simple reason that my emotions do not always lead to coherent expression. As a person who spends a lot of time in his head, it is good for me to remember that some things aren’t always logical.
I do not know what, if any, faith Adam Duritz professes. I don’t know why he is referencing an act only performed successfully by one Individual in history. (All activities of the Basilisk lizard not withstanding….come on, we all watched the nature documentaries when we were little) For me, though, these lines almost perfectly encapsulate what it feels like to live the Christian life.
If those of us claiming the title of Christian are in fact supposed to be “Christ Followers” there is one little problem. We are not divine. In my wildly imperfect state, I ask myself how I am supposed to be like a God who does things I could never do. The balance of my time is spent floundering around instead of performing miracles. I am a person soaked with inadequacy, and yet, week after week I am bombarded with pastors, friends and books telling me that I need to give my best for Christ, and to be Jesus to the masses that do not know Him.
Sometimes I think the best I can do for Christ is ask for a little help. I have a feeling he is just waiting for a simple request that isn’t saturated with false humility, human agendas and greedy striving. (All of which I am perpetually guilty of.)
I am beginning to think that we humans are the only ones that really expect us to be like Christ. After all, He is the one who told us He wanted to live and work through us, not the other way around. Maybe an outstretched hand is what He is really hoping for.
posted by Jason Fleming at 4:23 PM
1 Comments:
How've you been? You should shoot me an e-mail or something. your post here makes me wonder, or really think, how important is it to take up our cross. to die, to surrender.
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