I went to bed at 11:00, watched a little Colbert at Hulu.com until 11:30, then tried to go to sleep. It didn't work. My stomach had been acting funny (hmm could've been that coney dog I had...) and my muscles ached from the shots I got on Wednesday. I sprawled out on my bed hot and sweaty, too weak to turn on the fan, though once I did I got cold again.
Pause.
I've been reading a book by John Eldredge, his latest, called Walking with God. I used to be a pretty hardcore Eldredge fan. (I even befriended his oldest son on Myspace.) Anyway, Eldredge's focus is on learning how to talk with God and be in a right relationship with Him. He talks about spiritual warfare and the effects it has on our walk with God.
So after my fifth trip to the bathroom, I collapsed back onto my bed and asked myself, WWJED? (What would John Eldredge do?) He would pray against Satan because he was stealing my joy. He was keeping me from enjoying a nice night sleep, from rest after a busy Thursday.
Well, I prayed, God I feel like crap. Please don't let Satan steal my joy. Amen.
And after that prayer I felt ridiculous. I thought about all the reasons why I was sick: food poisoning, touch of the flu, malnutrition, etc. Can I put Satan on the list as well?
I feel like there are two camps, either you believe Satan is directly causing all pain and suffering going on in your life OR you believe in rational explanation for everything. (Sure there are shades of grey, like everything in life, but what's fun about debating that?)
There's some legitimacy in both arguments, I believe. I mean, the Bible does state that Satan "prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour" (I Peter 5:8 ) and that Satan "masquerades as an angel of light" (II Corinthians 11:14) to deceive us. Jesus even calls Satan "the thief" (John 10).
And I understand that in a lot of circumstances Satan is to blame, that he is the one presenting temptations before us.
But, with that camp I think there is some misdirection. I think of Eldredge's emphasis on spiritual warfare--that constant blaming of Satan for everything going wrong--keeps him from owning up to some stuff. It's almost like prosperity preaching: If I pray against Satan in every area of my life, then everything will be perfect. Rather than: My decisions caused this or that to happen, and my selfishness is to blame.
Perhaps, once again, this is just my self-righteousness getting the best of me, but it seems like God does discipline us and really wants some bad things to happen to us--because that's how we learn to trust Him.
I'm just giving this some thought. We all have a tendency to cling to whatever is easiest in life (which in this case would be to blame Satan), but I don't think that discredits the theory for sure one way or another.
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[Serious part complete.]
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REASONS NUMBER 2 AND 3 WHY THRICE IS THE BEST BAND EVER. (Because I forgot to post a reason after my last blog.)
2. THE BAND MEMBERS' FAITH IN GOD IS THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL TOPIC ON THE BLOGOSPHERE.
Okay, maybe not the MOST controversial, but pretty close. Here's the thing: Thrice is NOT a Christian band. If you call them a Christian band people will stab you with knives. Seriously. They will. HOWEVER, lead singer Dustin Kensrue (who writes all their music) is a Christian. A very thoughtful one, at that. And he brings in some of the blatantly "Christian" themes into their music. Like, hullo, COME ALL YOU WEARY is a song taken DIRECTLY from scripture. Along with DUST OF NATIONS, MOVING MOUNTAINS, and a good 3/4 of all their music. And then they have blatantly "Not-So-Christian" songs like Silhouette. (Lyrics read: "Your eyes slit the throat of all I know about myself and this life...") Hmm. Or how about this: "hells black wings did i over perch these walls, for stony limits cannot hold me out and now you all DIE" (The Red Death). Oh yeah, I want to sing THAT on a Sunday morning... not.
But honestly, it gets pretty heated in ye old blogosphere concerning all this. Here's a taste of what the bloggers have to say about The Red Death (which has those really not-so-Christian lyrics):
Belsambar: man... i have always associated the term 'christian rock' with 'annoying rock'.... i have only recently discovered thrice, and i have been completely, 100 percent impressed.
Alcoholic Panda: I hate to burst your bubble, bud, but thrice isn't a christian band. Check their site. It plainly states in their faq that they infact are NOT a christian band. All the some though, they kick a**. :)
SaveJake: Hate to burst your bubble, but while Thrice is not a christian band (proclaims the name of Christ in the music), The writer of the lyrics, Dustin, IS a huge follower, and his struggles with it are dealt in the lyrics. What makes it not Christian rock is the fact that it's just part of his life, and he deals with his life with lyrics, instead of using the music as a way of worship
HolkeyeSF: Who cares. Music is music. Thrice is awesome. If christians want to think of the lyrics in that sense, then why not let them?
Deadbolt: hate to burst all of your bubbles but here is where we discuss the red Death not christianity...SHUT UP WITH THE GOD S***!!! nobody care if they are a christian band (which they arent) so lets discuss the lyrics here not the stupid fact about if thirce is a christian band.
Duffmyster99: every freaking posts that are on thrice....are its a christian band..no its not check their website..blah blah blah.who cares!!
Xfromyourhandx: hate to burst your bubble(s) but you all need lives.. THEY ARE NOT A FREAKING CHRISTIAN BAND NOW STOP POSTING 20 SOMETHING POSTS ON IT
And that's just one of their songs... just read what they have to say about those songs that they COULD play on Star 88.3. Ooh I love drama.
3. THRICE WROTE A SONG CALLED "SILVER WINGS," WHICH IS THE BEST SONG EVER.
I believe my first reason as to why Thrice is the best band ever talked about the song CHILD OF DUST which is written as a Shakespearean sonnet and is about man's use of the earth's resources and is mirrored with the Prodigal Son story in Luke. Well, SILVER WINGS is even better. This is why.
First of all, how often do you compare Christ with air? Well, never. EXACTLY. SILVER WINGS is the sonnet on the Air EP of the Alchemy Index which juxtaposes Christ with Air. Not only is this a unique comparison, the song fully embodies the analogy. Of the four sonnets on the Alchemy Index, Air and Fire do the best job sounding like the element they are. SILVER WINGS sounds like air would sound like if it had a voice. And, most importantly, the lyrics are gold.
From tender years you took me for granted
(But still I deigned to wander through your lungs)
While you were sleeping soundly in your bed
(Your drapes were silver wings, your shutters flung)
I drew the poison from the summer's sting
(And eased the fire out of your fevered skin)
I moved in you and stirred your soul to sing
(And if you'd let me I would move again)
I've danced 'tween sunlit stands of lover's hair
(And formed the final words before you death)
I pitied you and plied your sails with air
(Gave blessing when you rose upon my breath)
And after all of this, I am amazed
That I am cursed far more than I am praised
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