Of the Rocky Road to Calvary

There’s something about hard guitar rips matched with soulful threads and angry percussive strokes. All this in the stringy language of guitar. Usually hidden in the noise was a beautiful story that tugs at the depths of your heart. From my tweens and well into my twenties, I identified as a ‘rock-head’. I loved rock music. I found myself in the music, I could cry in the music and find wings to see me through a dreary day, in the music…

Yes, play me music from Creed, Korn, Alterbridge, Linkin Park, Redhotchilli peppers, Foo fighters… the list is long, but play me any music from this group and I will certainly be transported back to a time when moshing and grunging was part of my vocabulary. This music gave me expression for my days then. I compiled a playlist to give you a glimpse of those days here.

Now even then, I knew that some of that hard rock I wouldn’t or couldn’t listen to because I somewhat understood the function of music in the heart of man and some of that music was waaaaaay too dark but its interesting today how some of my favourite band leads are speaking the redeemed language of those who have had a turn-around experience with Jesus. Scott Stapp, the lead singer of Creed has always had this on and off relationship with Jesus and when I think of him I see Gods mercy and grace around him like a cloak. Even in the thick of his benders he knew to call on Jesus, over and over and over again. Bono of U2 doesn’t keep his faith to himself even the legendary little Richards who once identified as omni-sexual now speaks Jesus Love…

I find it fascinating that even before I committed to this relationship with Jesus, God in his all-knowing nature had me moshing and grunging to voices and cries that he had already secured in his hand. Yenyewe, Jeremiah 1:5 and 29:11 have never been so real: Before I formed you in the womb I knew[a] you… and ‘For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ – In that order.

Just as you are God has space and purpose for you, let go of trying to be good enough and let him take care of that, you, just as you are wondering when next you can hide in the closet and take a drag of that drug, let go of the struggle, If God can work with Little Richards and Brian Welch (Korn), He can work with you through your struggles. Just let him, In Revelation 3:20 (NIV) He says, ‘Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.’

Little Richard is one of those widely considered as one of the fathers of Rock n Roll, Listen to him tell his own story

Now Brian Welch is much younger and was the lead singer for the band Korn, this is what I blasted out loud to communicate rebellion to my parents in those rebellious late teenage years… Listen to him speak of How God turned him from a hard rocking meth and everything else addict to (in the language of another rock band: DC Talk) a Jesus Freak.

Where ever it is that you are, in the closet, behind the tent, in the car Jesus is literally waiting on you to call him. It doesn’t matter the language, just call him and ask him to take things up from where you are and trust that He will.