Viva la Vida
So, Amazon sent me Coldplay’s new album, Viva la Vida on Tuesday, and I got to really listen to it yesterday. Now I normally wouldn’t post about a “secular” band’s album here, but listening to the title track, I was struck by how fitting it was to the current predicament a lot of the institutional church finds itself in. The song, Viva la Vida, is told from the perspective of a king who has lost his power. His once great standing in the world is gone, and he’s left with only memories of the golden years.
I wonder sometimes if that isn’t why we see the sort of reaction we do from some people in the church. It is not an easy thing to lose power and influence. As humans, we naturally crave it. Evangelicals have held a lot of sway in America for the last 50 years or so, and I think we are now arriving at a place where a lot that power has left or is the process of leaving. The question becomes, how will the respond? Will we grasp for power, or we embrace our lack of power and serve others? Will we be content with “sweeping the streets”?
Here are the lyrics:
Viva la Vida
I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to ownI used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemies eyes
Listen as the crowd would sing:
“Now the old king is dead, long live the king!”One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt, and pillars of sandI hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword, my shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can’t explain
Once you go there was never, never an honest word
That was when I ruled the worldIt was the wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People couldn’t believe what I’d becomeRevolutionaries wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string (Ooooh)
Ah, who would ever want to be king?I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword, and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can’t explain
I know Saint Peter will call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world
By the way, this is the song that is on the new Itunes commercial, and, yes I do realize there is some level of irony in Apple using a song about the loss of one’s power in an ad.
June 19th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Yaaaaaaaay!!!
Tim Reed!
You got your very own smear post!
June 19th, 2008 at 9:33 am
Its certainly not the first, but its filled to the brim with slander, just like the others.
June 19th, 2008 at 9:51 am
Tim,
You gotta laugh…really.
I think it’s funny.
You bad “pastor”, you!
I love the classic tactic of accusing people of your own fault.
Like trying to make you into a “legalist”.
You dirty ADM.
ADM? Adam? Human?
ODM? Odium? Hatred?
hmmmm….
June 19th, 2008 at 9:58 am
The best part is when the blatently made you out to not only not be a pastor, but that you’re not Christian either.
Talk about shooting themselves in the foot…
June 19th, 2008 at 10:03 am
Y’all do realize that this post had nothing to do with Tim?
It’s all good, continue with your regularly scheduled thread-jack…
June 19th, 2008 at 10:04 am
I was about to note that but was hoping ignoring it would make it go away.
BTW, the new Coldplay album is really good. Or at least the four songs I’ve heard off it so far.
June 19th, 2008 at 10:07 am
They’re in good company with every major movie that was ever made about anti-materialism. I still enjoy ‘em, the irony is just a bonus.
June 19th, 2008 at 10:07 am
yeah, it’s just there was no place to comment about the recent stand on bloodied ground.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:30 am
Chris comes from a Christian family,i think Chris went to church throughout his childhood to…In fact i think i’m correct in stating his father is a minister..
Theres a questioning tone about Christianity on some other songs of his too..
good overview here
June 19th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
I love this album.. Tim, I didn’t know you had listened to it? lost is my favorite song thus far.
June 19th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
Its just a personal observation and what do i know anyhow,but to me theres seem’s a shift in some of the threads and some of the comments..
There just seems to be more snide remark to people,for instance your “Again” to Amy just didn’t seem needed (i’m aware thats a two way street)..
It just seems easier to get a consenting nod for an irreverent comment ,then it is to get a graceful reply to a comment from an opposite view, like Amy’s was…
June 19th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
wrong thread sorry lol
June 20th, 2008 at 1:06 am
I was looking for some thoughtful analysis of the new Coldplay CD, but being one of those evangelicals you frown upon, perhaps my time would have been better spent contemplating what I will do with the lack of power my “side” has. Come on man, I’d expect this kind of crap from Jim Wallis or Arianna Huffington, but not someone professing a true faith in Christ. We are all in this together and your alliance with secularists on the Left might seem hip and cool now when its easy to bash the arbitrarily defined “religious right”, but wait until the Socialistic paradise you think you desire comes to fruition and pastors are being locked up for preaching things like that homosexuality is a sin (like any other, but still a sin) and hell is a real place more people go than Heaven. If you are looking for affirmation of your short-sighted worldview in lyrics from rockstars…..I was going to finish that sentence but realized that is likely exactly where you get your worldview.
Isaiah 5:20- Woe to those who call good evil, and evil good.
June 20th, 2008 at 8:55 am
RJ,
I’m afraid you’ve bought into exactly what many of us detest about American Christianity. Politics is domination by force, no matter how the power is broken up (whether its through voting or the bullet, or both). Christ came to serve, not to be served, and as his disciples we should try to do the same.
Contrary to your claims, no one here wants a “socialist paradise”, most of our reactions are a firmly disinterested “meh” to that kind of thing. Allow yourself to be convicted by verses such as Matthew 20.25ff:
June 20th, 2008 at 9:03 am
RJ,
Trust me, I’m about as far from a Socialist as you can get. I’m really more a right-wing nutjob who thinks the Republican party has bought too much into socialist ideals. I think the less government is involved in things, the better off we are for the most part.
I also don’t think rock stars are going to save us. That doesn’t mean they don’t ever have something insightful to say.
Anyway, Tim got it right. My point was that the church has found itself looking back upon it’s “glory days” of political power, and I for one don’t think it’s a bad thing. Jesus showed us that His Kingdom isn’t about wielding power over people, but rather serving and dying for them.
I still don’t know how I sound like Arianna Huffington at all to you…
June 20th, 2008 at 9:08 am
Maybe it’s your accent…