Ants Marching - Part 2: Waking Up

In Ants Marching - Part 1 we discovered that what holds us back from so much of the life we desire is a resistance within us – a resistance that each and every one of us must identify and wrestle with if we are to be free from the human version of an ant's life.  And if we follow the stem of this internal resistance to its root, we will likely find mixed into the soil of our resistance perhaps the single, most powerful contributor to our resistance:  fear. 

Fear shows itself in a myriad of ways. For example, when we complain about how lame our job is the fear underneath our complaint is that of finding another job that better utilizes our talents but that may not pay as well, which means we’d have to make a sacrifice. And who’s not afraid of sacrificing themselves?   Fear also shows up in our superficial conversations with one another. While we know there exists a plethora of insightful stories and encouraging words that, if spoken, can propel us forward, our stories go untold and our encouragement remains mute not because the weather is so interesting to discuss but because we’re afraid – afraid of exposing ourselves to people we may not fully trust.  So we settle for an existence of shallow conversation and unfulfilled dreams, and our “chances” Dave sings about remain in a box.        

It’s at this point of realization that conventional wisdom suggests all we need to overcome our fear is to envision a better future, break down the path from where we are to where we want to be into small, achievable steps (S.M.A.R.T. goals anyone?), and discipline ourselves to stay on track. Proponents of this approach state in one form or another that if only we commit ourselves to this process we can conquer fear and arrive at the life we’ve always wanted.  And yet, so many of us have failed in our attempts at utilizing this approach and we have collectively ended up in a more depressed existence because we feel like we only have ourselves to blame.    

I find time and time again that the issue with us as human beings is not that we are unable to envision a better future or even develop a strategic plan for stepping into that future. Rather, the issue is that we’re alone in our journey and we desperately want to have someone alongside who knows us, accepts us, cares for us, and loves us exactly as we are. 

In the various accounts of Jesus’ life we find him encountering people who are just like us: feeling downtrodden, inauthentic, without a purpose, and alone.  And what Jesus offered them then - and what he offers us now - is not a vision for a better future or a strategic plan for escaping the monotony of daily living. Rather, what Jesus offers is a presence, namely his [God’s] presence, and that always seems to be enough for people. 

How liberating would it be to know that we are not alone as we go about our day, or to grow in our awareness that at any particular moment the loving, gracious, comforting, accepting, and forgiving presence of God is right here with us? Perhaps we would awaken each morning with a renewed sense of life, being full of joy, compassion, and generosity. And imagine how contagious and life-changing such an existence would be in the world!  

Our daily lives do not have to be the grind we’ve come to think they are. Together let’s take the risk of waking up to the reality that God is with us right here, right now.  Perhaps that’s all we really need to take some of our chances out of the box before it’s “lights down, you up and die”.

Ants Marching - Part 1: The Resistance

“Most men die at 27, we just bury them at 72.” - Mark Twain

In Ants Marching, we find ourselves at the intersection of Life and Main and it’s here that Dave inherently asks a significant and profound question: What does it mean to be fully human?  Throughout the song, generic snapshots of a person’s life are taken, such as one’s morning routine, commute, severed relationships and regrets, and the very purpose behind those everyday life experiences is questioned.  What is the purpose behind the cycle of getting up, brushing your teeth, grabbing a bite to eat and rushing off to work 5 (or 6 or 7) days a week?  Dave is not alone in his wondering. 

Let’s be honest and confess that most of us unintentionally live a life of conformity and compliance.  We didn’t necessarily choose it; it’s more like it chose us.  Going to school, graduating, and entering the workforce seemed like the only path to follow, and yet after years of walking this path we’ve discovered that this journey is not all that life-giving.  Where’s the joy?  Where’s the significance?  Where’s the sense of transcendence?  What we find after traveling this path for any considerable length of time is that the path is very much life-taking, not life-giving, which helps us understand why Mark Twain quipped what he did.     

The reality highlighted by Ants Marching is that as much as we want to live a different life, we find it incredibly hard to do so.  It’s as if a resistance exists in each of our lives, one that influences our daily habits and routines, squelching our dreams and ambitions for the life we could have and desperately want, leaving us to long for “someday” but someday never comes.  On the surface, this resistance appears to be external.  For some, the resistance appears to be an overly-demanding job.  For others, it appears to be an addiction.  And for others, the resistance appears to be a past experience that just won’t release its claws.

So while upon first glance the resistance seems to be “out there” or “back then”, the truth is that the resistance is really within us, right here, right now.  This internal resistance is what keeps us up at night or turns our stomach when entering a meeting.  It’s what prevents us from leaving harmful and destructive habits and relationships and yet it's the same thing that makes us run away from those we love (and who love us). Essentially, the resistance is the thing that ties a leash around our necks to keep us from stepping outside the perceived lines of life. In Ants Marching, Dave sings pointedly about the various effects the resistance has on us, such as:

• driving us into a monotonous life of numbing and unfulfilling work
• allowing conflict to fester and isolate us from our most treasured relationships, and
• never fully realizing or even attempting to pursue our dreams and ambitions. 

The truth is that the resistance is quite subtle but very powerful, and until we identify the resistance in our own lives, it will continue to have a stranglehold on the good life we are created to live. How would you describe the resistance in your life? What form has it taken and what effect has it had on you?

Intro to the Gospel according to Dave Matthews Band

I remember as if it was yesterday. It was Friday afternoon. Classes had wrapped up for the week and I was sitting around the dorm with my two roommates and a few other friends. Amidst the celebration of making it through another week of college life one of my roommates, nicknamed Bus, pulled out a CD (yes, a Compact Disc. Remember that ancient piece of technology?).

“You guys have GOT to hear this new band” Bus announced to us all. Upon hitting the play button the sound of what I thought was a clock ticking started pulsating through the speakers. Tap.......tap…….tap…….tap. After several taps I started to wonder if Bus had gone off the deep end. What did he find so inspiring about this tapping that he wanted to share it with all of us? It sounded like a leaky faucet! Yet there he stood, eyes closed, fist raised in the air as if he was jamming on his very own snare drum 6 inches above his head, when suddenly a deluge of harmony and rhythm poured out into the room unlike anything I had heard before. The blend of crisp violin strings with the savory staccato of the saxophone grabbed hold of me and from that moment on I was forever hooked on what I soon learned was the music of the Dave Matthews Band.

Over the years, I’ve taken in as much as I possibly can of the Dave Matthews Band, or DMB. From their recorded music and live concerts to their charity work all around the world I’ve been enthralled with the depth of creativity and generosity flowing out of this small group of talented musicians. And over the years I’ve come to believe that Dave and his band are striving for more than to be extremely successful musicians, which they are. Beyond achieving musical and financial success, it seems to me that DMB is pursuing something larger than themselves, something that points beyond them and their music to the way the entire universe is meant to be, a different reality than the one we tread through day in and day out, a reality filled with compassion, forgiveness, justice, beauty, truth, peace, hope, and love.

Whenever I listen to DMB, the various aspects of this alternative reality sink into my brain, into my heart, and into my soul. Or perhaps those aspects are already there, it’s just that DMB’s music does something to awaken them inside me. And when I reflect long enough to articulate exactly what I’m feeling, I can’t help but think that the alternative reality DMB is after is the same alternative reality that Jesus lived and taught two thousand years ago.

Jesus called this alternative reality the “Kingdom of God” or the “Kingdom of Heaven” as a way to describe the present rule and reign of God. According to Jesus, the Kingdom is a reality that is here and now, and one’s inclusion in it is not determined by one’s social status or ethnicity or even good deeds. It’s like the Kingdom is a condition of one’s heart more than a geographical location.

For many who heard Jesus teach about the Kingdom, they received his message as good news because it brought about healing and liberation in their lives and, in turn, the world. In fact, one of the people who wrote about Jesus’ life (Mark) called the life and message of Jesus the “good news”, which is translated “gospel” in English. So Jesus both lived and taught the good news/gospel and his life and teachings have since become known as the good news/gospel for the world.

I was introduced to Jesus at a fairly young age and ever since then I have been fascinated with him and his teachings. I’ve always wondered that if Jesus is indeed the good news for us and the world and if his message has something to say to us all today, then shouldn’t the world be on track for becoming a better place for all to live rather than one that's worse? Shouldn’t we be experiencing more peace rather than more war? Shouldn’t there be less homelessness and starvation in the world? Shouldn’t there be less slavery today than there was a hundred years ago? Shouldn’t more and more of our environment become beautiful each and every day?

It’s these issues that get under Jesus’ skin and it’s these issues that DMB seems to care deeply about, which comes through loud and clear in both their music and their work. Perhaps they wouldn’t say it this way, but DMB seems to be fascinated with the good news of Jesus, just as I am, and perhaps you are too.

In the weeks ahead I’ll be posting my thoughts on where I see the gospel of Jesus coming through the music of DMB. This endeavor is sure to spark some intriguing conversations and I would greatly enjoy hearing what you have to say, so feel free to follow along and even leave a comment or question to push the conversation forward.  Enjoy!