Learning to Listen to Styx: Show Me the Way
A few weeks ago, Jerry began a new series of posts called “Learning to Listen”, in which he described our desire to, from time-to-time, examine what some artistic voices in the “secular” world have said - or are saying - afor a few purposes:
1. To listen to what is being said by the “voices crying out in the wilderness” of the world
2. To discuss what they are saying - not their state of salvation
3. To discuss how best to connect to people with these thoughts/feelings
Today, I’d like to offer my first post in this series on a song from what was probably my most favorite band in the world as a teen, Styx.
Show Me the Way
Every night I say a prayer in the hope that there’s a heaven
And every day I’m more confused as the saints turn into sinners
All the heroes and legends I knew as a child have fallen to idols of clay
And I feel this empty place inside so afraid that I’ve lost my faithShow me the way, show me the way
Take me tonight to the river
And wash my illusions away
Show me the wayAnd as I slowly drift to sleep, for a moment dreams are sacred
I close my eyes and know there’s peace in a world so filled with hatred
That I wake up each morning and turn on the news to find we’ve so far to go
And I keep on hoping for a sign, so afraid that I just won’t knowShow me the way, Show me the way
Take me tonight to the mountain
And wash my confusion awayAnd if I see Your light, should I believe?
Tell me how will I know?Show me the way, show me the way
Take me tonight to the river
And wash my illusions away
Show me the way, show me the way
Give me the strength and the courage
To believe that I’ll get there someday
Show me the wayEvery night I say a prayer
In the hope that there’s a heaven…
Thoughts
I have a few friends from my youth who were deeply affected by a death (or multiple deaths) to people who were very close to them(in one case a parent and a sibling to a drunk driver). Each of them had been raised in Christian families, members of local churches, but over a short period of time, each left the church, burdened with deep questions about God, His mercy, His justice and His love.
One of them moved west and pretty much gave up anything to do with faith in the wake of the politicization of faith and the public scandals of multiple public religious figures. Another traveled the world, restless and never truly settled, which - the last I heard - he is still doing. The third shut out the pain of loss, left everyone and everything that reminded him of his lost loves, angry with life and angry with God, and created a new life without those “reminders” - including the church.
Even thinking about them right now brings tears to my eyes because of the holes they’ve left in my own heart, missing them.
As I listen to and read the words of this particular song, I am reminded of these friends of mine, who I doubt have ceased to believe that there is a God, but who have been led to doubt because of their circumstance.
As I’ve thought and pondered about what shook them so badly, I’ve settled on two particular streams of behavior/thought that also come up in Styx’s song -
1) Christians sometimes are pretty insensitive when it comes to death.
2) What seems to “turn off” non-Christians far more than Jesus’ message is the hypocrisy of those who claim to follow him.
Death Doesn’t Become Us
Every time I am at a funeral/viewing and I hear someone quote Romans 8:28 to a bereaved family member or friend, I have this urge to call them aside, into a back room, and to lock them in a coffin for just a bit.
When someone has just lost an important person in their life, it is not the time to point out that all things will work out for good. It is not the time to say that it was God’s plan (even if it was). It is not the time to do anything but to mourn with those who mourn and to provide comfort. Certainly, the time will come for broader discussion, but the first few weeks after the death (particularly an unexpected one) just are not the time.
I remember David Mullins, Rich’s brother, speaking on this subject, when he commented that “people would say ‘God just wanted him [Rich] sooner’, or ‘It was God’s plan’, or a hundred other things - but the truth is that Rich was just a bad driver.”
When we provide comfort, it seems to me that it is our presence and our benevolence that should be on display, not our ‘wisdom’. I know that I often struggle to find anything relevant to say when I am confronted with someone in mourning. Over (a long) time, I have come to believe that this is guidance from the Spirit to simply say nothing at that time, but that my being there in a time of trouble is far more important than anything I might be able to say. By simply being there, I am now given a future invitation to discuss the “why”, the “what” and the “therefores” in a way that is loving and compassionate.
Hypocrisy
Books and libraries could be written on the topic of Christian hypocrisy. As such, I find that it is important to me, at least, to try and be cognizant of my failings and to communicate them to those who observe me - not as an excuse, but as both an admonition for me to do better and as a way to be credible by keeping myself off of a pedestal that I could fall from, hurting others in the process.
I can only imagine that this process becomes harder as the journey toward personal holiness is realized, as pride creeps in, either blinding us to our faults, or creating a false “need” to appear even more holy.
It is the betrayal of Christians in sex-scandals, embezzlement deals and other moral/legal failures - Christians who have been placed, often by their own complicity, onto pedestals which cannot support them - which lead many of the unbelievers and/or immature believers to doubt God, because they see His failure in the failures of His people.
Learning to Listen Series:
October 2nd, 2008 at 6:53 pm
The biggest compliments given to me and one of the saddest things said to me at the same time was my agnostic friend telling me that I was the first Christian he met who was real. I decided not to hide my short comings when dealing with unbelievers but to be open about my struggles. I trust the Holy Spirit to work even when my weakness are on display. This friend, Mark, had a number of bad business experiences with very vocal Christians which strengthened his believe that belief in God has no impact on one’s life. Please pray with me for Mark.
October 2nd, 2008 at 6:59 pm
I admit to not knowing Alice in Chains, but I have heard this song. It can describe a journey.
It is curious the group is called after the River Styx.
October 2nd, 2008 at 7:33 pm
So true. Death is the last great enemy. It is a defeated enemy, but an enemy all the same. As Christians we should not follow the culture in an attempt to redefine death. We should call it what it is and point to the hope we have in spite of it.
Good post, Chris L.
October 2nd, 2008 at 8:31 pm
I get from this that the author, presumably Dennis DeYoung, was confused about life at the moment. He was looking for clarity–confusion, illusion, hatred, disappointment, these are the things that really do plague our culture and the people who inhabit it.
What troubles me is that in our effort to ‘win people for Jesus’ we often think that we have to be fake and offer up all the patent theological answers that even we don’t understand. When I preached at the funeral a week or so ago, one of the first things out of my mouth was simply this: I know as a preacher I am supposed to have answers for you, but I don’t; and I’m not afraid to share with you my lack.
By the end of the sermon, which, contrary to my custom, I did not script, I was able to simply point people to the only thing I knew: Jesus. That was as real as I could be that night.
Thanks Chris L for an excellent contribution to the series!
jerry
October 2nd, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Chris L,
What really resonated with me in this post is the word hypocrisy. Unfortunately, this is what the world sees in the church.
The church is, unfortunately full of hypocrites. In the greek, a hypocrite is an actor. Think of the greek plays in which people wore a mask to demonstrate the feelings of the character they portrayed.
A person can be a hypocrite, acting like a Christian, but when the mask falls off (outside in the world) they are exposed for who they really are. This is the pain expressed in this song. They see the people for who they really are, and see no truth in our faith as a result. You see this in the rocky ground hearer, or the shallow root hearer, or the seed cast among thorns.
Unfortunately, it seems in the church, only 25 percent who hear the word actually bear the fruit of repentance. The rest are fakers- hypocrites. Tares in the wheat. They will always be there. We live what we believe. If Jesus is Christ then we must lay down our lives in humility and allow Him to live through us so that we can spread the grace around horizontally.
Thank you for this post. I think you could do a similar one on Matt Groening of Simpsons fame. How he sees God and the church is likely the result of growing up in a church full of self righteous and pious hypocrites.
October 3rd, 2008 at 11:16 am
I have to disagree PastorBoy. 100% of those in the church are hypocrites! None of have arrived at perfection yet….except maybe for Ingrid.
And many whom you think may not be believers based on their works may just be in a different stage in the process of sanctification.
October 3rd, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Then again, maybe the emphasis in the song is on the ’show’ part. Often times we Christians are very good at ‘talking’ the way or preaching the way, but here is someone specifically asking for someone to show, as in demonstrate, the way.
I always think back to Romans 5 where Paul tells his readers that God demonstrated his love for us in this: while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Now this certainly doesn’t mean that we are never to use words, but I sense that someone here wants a clear demonstration of what the faith walk is: show me, clear up the confusion, the illusion, etc. Make it evident.
Anyhow, I’m just thinking through it like you…
jerry
October 17th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
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