Thank you Ipod shuffle!

So like always I have my music on and I was listening to the awkward/amazing transitions that occur on my ipod when shuffle is in use.

At one point the bass is bumping to Eminem talking about
"See what these kids do is hear about us totin' pistols
And they want to get one cause they think the shit's cool
Not knowin' we really just protectin' ourselves, we entertainers"

Then Hosana by Paul Baloche comes on talking about
"In Your Kingdom broken lives are made new, You make us new
'Cause when we see You, we find strength to face the day"

Then onto The Script, Breakeven:
"I'm still alive, but I'm barely breathin,
Just prayin' to a god that I don't believe in"

Then to Brand New, Jesus Christ:
"Well, Jesus Christ I’m not scared to die
I’m a little bit scared of what comes after
Do I get the gold chariot
Do I float through the ceiling
Do I divide and fall apart
Cause my bright is too slight to hold back all my dark
This ship went down in sight of land
And at the gates does Thomas ask to see my hands?"

Before I even start commenting. I realize my music choice is not always "christian" and those who know me already know how much music and lyrics are a part of my life, therefore this post comes as no surprise to you.

Like always there is a specific reason why I chose to select the section of lyrics I did to include and if you are interested the rest you can look them up. As stated above I listen to music almost every waking hour of the day and enjoy a variety as seen in the songs listed. Pretty much the only thing I don't listen to is country. Yeah I am not a fan, but if you then you can listen to it all you want, but it's not for me. Something that struck me was the influence these select bands have on our culture, society, and daily lives. Eminem has very strong/controversial lyrics with good beats. He confronts the reality of our society following what they see on TV or in the media and try to replicate it. Not only to be like "them" but they will also mimic the actions of these "stars." This thought is scary. Think about the influences that we come in contact on a daily basis. How much of those are changing who we are? Change our style of clothing? Wanting something new? Wanting to lose pounds to look like "that," whatever "that" may be. Then we have Paul who states that our lives that we "think" are broken can be made new, and we can face each day with God. This directly contradicts what the "world/society" are telling us. I think The Script hits the nail on the head,

"I'm still alive, but I'm barely breathing, just prayin' to a god that I don't believe in."

Our society is so tied up in the image and what they are suppose to be that the focus on what life is has been completely lost. The United States is commonly labeled as a "Christian Nation." However this statement is simply that a statement. There are no actions to follow this. A label means nothing without actions. But when trouble comes, then God is called on, but people don't really know what they are doing. They have just ran out of options and they remember someone once telling them to pray. So they do. It seems like at our deepest moments is when we are desperate enough to find something outsides of ourselves to put our interests in. Why does it take us to this point to recognize God and seek him?

Brand New is a band I listen to a lot. In this particular song they are asking about what will happen when we die? My favorite line is, "And at the gates does Thomas ask to see my hands?" Thomas was one of the twelve disciples that followed Jesus around during his years of ministry. When Jesus died on the cross his body was laid in a tomb. A couple of the disciples said they saw Jesus after three days and told the other disciples what had happened. Thomas was among them and did not believe them. He wanted proof. He wanted to stick his hands in the nail holes before he believed that Jesus was alive again. The reason I like this lyrics so much is because I think about doubt. Is Thomas going to be standing at the gates asking to see the proof that I have done what I said I have done and question how I lived my life?

What if our society's image of "cool" or "who we want to be" was Jesus?