Nothing feels to me like it has been more redeemed in my own person (and by “redeemed” I just mean, “rescued from its ‘natural’ state and returned to its truly natural state”) than creativity. I am at the core a creator, a designer, a crafter of words and music and ideas, and ultimately systems and worlds. I can’t help but think God, if he thinks of these things in the same concepts as we do, gets enjoyment watching me fashion my toy-block castles down here, in mimicry of his creating the cosmos. Anyway, I wanted my Easter service to be centered around an expression of this faculty of mine.
Last year, my creative Easter act was to write two monologues (entitled Friday and Sunday), the first from the point of view of Judas, and the second from that of Mary Magdalene. It was the first time I’d ever taken a given time and set it apart for creative work as a specific act of worship. But I was so moved by the process that I hoped I could, in doing something similar this year, have “church” here in my room in a way that would be maximally meaningful for me. (Incidentally, even though I did not plan on going to church, I somehow ended up at Catholic mass, a first-time venture for me and very interesting).
So, I invite you all to see the result of this year’s endeavor. It happened to be a song, which I am tentatively calling “Liability” and which I wrote and recorded today. The lyrics are semi-opaque as usual, but I think they are extremely relevant to the Easter story, since the song poses some questions to which I think the Easter story provides good and meaningful answers. The kind of answers I cling to with that tenuous hope of mine, not quite willing to let go.
Also as usual, the recording was rather hasty, and this should only be considered a rough cut. But here it is, and I hope that, even though Easter is done for the year, the song might remind you (or make you ask yourself) why you believe the story, if you are one that does.
4 replies on “He is Risen”
I really like the sound. Don’t know exactly what all the lyrics mean, but the “empires crumble on their own” line grabbed my attention. Witty closing line here.
ok i can’t do this.
it totally freaks me out.
i know your mom, well i guess i should say, i met your mom, and our parents work together (mine with Discovery, yrs with GetGlobal) and i met your mom last year when i attended team leader training in dallas.
so anways. this year when they were in orlando and i was on the phone with someone down there they mentioned that i should check out your blog for you know…postmodern-generational-judeo-christian thoughts and such….
apparently they thought that blogs are inspiring rather than masturbatory….
but the truth is that i cannot read a blog without a picture of who you are.
perhaps we are more tactile phisical creatures than i give us credit for.
is there a picture of you here somewhere?
then i can read your dirty secret wierdo thoughts with some peace of mind i guess….
thanks
i like the song, it is quite good. i especially loved the lyrics. i read your profile and it says you a philosophy major, that is awesome i am as well ,at Erskine College
Hi Jonathan, I was generally interested in how you ended up going to a Catholic Mass, and curious about any futher thoughts that cascaded from the experience. (For what it’s worth, this was the first year that I didn’t go to Mass, partially due to my own attendant degrees of discomfort and displeasure (though admittedly that had more to do w/ my state of mind)).