Chronos

Visions of Spring: God Hears the Longings of our Souls

2006-02-23T11:05:00.000-05:00

It's always best, though troubling at times, to be honest with God and share the cries of the heart. By practicing this, we only confirm what the Searcher of Hearts already knows. But one of the great things about God is His patience for our confession. He desires to hear the longing of our souls and respond in creative ways which we, being in His image, are able to comprehend. For the artist this can be done through scenic landscapes; the musician through sweet melodies; the scientist through complex laws and realities; and the intellectual through readings and wisdom. I by no means consider myself an intellectual but I notice God reaching me through the written word more and more. In responce to my previous blog, I have since been comforted but the words of the most unlikely of preachers, Charles Haddon Spurgeon:

If you are all like me, you are far from being always alike. I am sometimes lifted up to the very heavens, and then I go down to the deeps; I am at one time bright with joy and confidence, and at another time dark as midnight with doubts and fears. Even Elijah, who was so brave, had his fainting fits. We are to be blamed for this, and yet the fact remains: our experience is as an April day, when shower and sunshine take their turns. Amid our mournful changes we rejoice to hear the Lord's own voice, saying, 'Fear not: for I have redeemed thee.' Everything is not a changeful wave; there is a rock somewhere. Redemption is a fact accomplished.

-Till He Come, 1896

Yes, it is striking the same person who preached the infamous "Turn or Burn" sermon and focused so heavily on evangelistic responce would be used to comfort me with an honest spirituality. But God works in mysterious ways.

It is not a coincidence that God uses literature and music to teach us spiritual truth for they both delight the soul. Anyone seeking to know the thoughts of God but refuses to acknowledge their own spiritual reality will end their journey either in vain or seriously malnourished. In The Story of Christian Spirituality, Herman Selderhuis wisely ask:

Are not poetry and spirituality twins? Is not a song the highest expression of spirituality? Is not a novel the best way to show how spirituality is an everyday item? Christian spirituality is not only a matter of theology, but just as much a matter of literature and music. While some of the writers, poets and composers intensely wanted to convey a message to their audience, most simply expressed their own spirituality, and in this way influenced the spiritual life of others. Many poems, novels and hymns display this remarkable combination of demonstration and influence.

Spirituality longs for expression; it cannot remain hidden. And in many cases words are not sufficient in themselves, but need to be completed by music.

Therefore, I know the dreamer will dream again; the musician will capture; the poet will write; and the creator will create. Let us confess our longings and once again be filled with inspiration. Rejoice! Visions of spring draw near.

Tired of Winter

2006-02-22T15:31:00.000-05:00

Does anyone else get tired of the depressing nature that is winter? Cold weather, cloudy skies, and dead trees culminate to produce the opposite of life. Seriously, there's nothing good about winter; only that it is preceeded by Fall and gives purpose to Spring. I say all this knowing that I do not have it as bad as many in America. I live in Charlotte where winters are very mild. STILL, this season brings out the worse in me. It reminds me of all that is dark in life, even death itself. I'm amazed with the correlation of my temperament and the seasons. I've noticed one springlike day in the midst of winter will put me in a totally different mood. I can't helped but ponder: How do people in Siberia live? And of course, the antithesis: Why would anyone leave southern California? Maybe it's just me. Why do I only listen to Nirvana Unplugged and the somber lyrics of Fiona Apple in the wintertime? It's simple: Winter is death. The metaphor of life hits home with the pathos of man.

I cannot express how much I anticipate Spring. Time for rebirth....time for redemption....time for new beginnings.....time for life.

What's your Coldplay Top 15?

2005-09-20T10:46:00.000-04:00

Evaluating a song is difficult. The great song must not be a passing fad. It must stand the test of time and continue to endure. That is how favorites are made and good songs distinguished from average songs, great songs from good songs. Therefore, much goes into play when considering my top 15 Coldplay tunes. Lyrics, melody, harmony, sound are objective. The individual life setting and experience are subjective. They all converge and form some kind of basis for comparison. Enough said, here's my list:

1) Don't Panic*
2) See You Soon
3) We Never Change
4) The Scientist
5) Careful Where You Stand**
6) Trouble***
7) In My Place
8) Brothers and Sisters****
9) Shiver
10) Clocks
11) Square One
12) Warning Sign
13) Yellow
14) Fix You
15) A Rush Of Blood To The Head

** Some songs never get old; they get better with age. Those are the songs you can listen to three times straight and you still want more! "Don't Panic" is that song for me. The only knock is the length but it is long enough to lure you in and make you want more of it.

**Honestly, this song is the bait. It got my attention the way Yellow failed to do.

***If "Careful Where You Stand" is the bait, then undoubtably, "Trouble" is the hook. It's that simple. Hearing Trouble for the first time at Pacsun really lured me in. I couldn't shake the tune out of my head for months.

****Quality of song makes a difference. I had previously owned a copy of the live version. I liked it but I wouldn't have ranked it this high. However, this past weekend I was introduced to a cleaner, purer version of the song and it blew me away. The added quality transformed this song from good to very good.

My big day

2005-09-12T13:04:00.000-04:00

September 10, 2005...will be remembered as a special day and one that was fully lived. The alarm clock awakes me at 7:00 AM and I will see the next 20 hours straight and retire at 3:00AM. Then I will wake up 2 and 1/2 hours later and begin another day. What made the 10th special? Well, it was composed of three of my favorite things: 1) Sports Hokie Football, 2) Fellowship Hanging with my brothers and old friends, and 3)Music Coldplay - the greatest band of this generation.

That day the best of three interests came alive. I'm a sports fanatic and if you ask me which team I follow the most you'd find that it's not even close: my Virginia Tech Hokies! The team, and the 15,000 crazy alumni who follow them around during away games, were on a mission. The mission was not victory alone but complete humiliation of Duke football. The goal was to make the Admins seriously consider the value and worth of the existing footbal program after being brutally beat down by the ACC champs. The result? A 45-0 woodshed beating which should have been worse and 35 measely total yards for Duke. I'd say we made the Dukies dream about basketball season. The 90 degree heat however, served as a harsh reminder that b-ball is still over 2 months away. Even though I often lack compassion for other opponents, your heart had to go out for Duke's quarterback who saw four giants dressed in maroon and white in his face more than he could see his own receivers. Regardless, this IS football season and Duke was obliterated.

Coldplay was awesome. Our energy level, as zapped by the sun, was around zero before the show. This was not good. I had been wanting to see Coldplay ever since the first time I really got into them (Summer/Fall '01). But the four boys from Britain found a way to energize us, especially Wes who was working on 2 hours of sleep (my tiring day was ahead of me.) As expected, they opened with Square One, the intro for X&Y. I knew they would. The song sounds like a concert starter. Special effects were a good additive. I would have been fine with just hearing and seeing the guys play but I must admit the visual effects added a lot to the show. The highlight of the show, for me anyway, was the decision to play Don't Panic. It was played unplugged and it sounded beautiful. Props to drummer Will Champion. I think it was his idea. You rock Will!

I'm still trying to figure out why I like these guys so much. Obviously, Im not alone (the place was packed with 20,000 fans). Yeah, they have good hit songs but I like their non released tracks just as well if not more. Maybe it's their ability to connect with their fans. They are easy to listen to and easy to love. They love their fans and care about putting on a good show. I don't know where they get the energy to do world tours. Maybe the source is the people they play for and entertain. I was surprised by the variety of songs played. I was expecting the show to be 3rd album heavy but that wasn't the case. Politik, Yellow, In My Place, The Scientist, Don't Panic, Rush of Blood To The Head, Everything's Not Lost, God Put A Smile Upon Your Face, Clocks, were some of the songs added into the mix. Fix You was the last song and probably the most powerful song. It was a fitting closing song.

The concert was almost as powerful as the memories attached to the tunes. Wes and I reminisced the days of hanging out in Clover Valley, sitting around and playing tracks from 'Parachutes.' Coldplay was the sound of fall, the sound of the cooler wind ushering into the valley of Blacksburg. The music, especially We Never Change, reminds me of college and community. My brother and I were a number of things during those years but the one thing we always were was together. And now, as our paths go in different directions, music often is the remedy, reminding us of the unintended and unscripted moments created and experienced. Yeah, you could say there was something spiritual about those moments...moments when you know you are alone but never alone. The music takes me back to simpler times, yet confusing times; hurting times, yet exciting times. The concert was good but the company to experience the concert with is what lasts. And as the dusts settled, I left that place with my brothers and the day was made complete.

The Persistent Beggar saves the day

2005-09-12T10:27:00.000-04:00

It was an offer the faculty the "couldn't refuse." My Conservative Social Thought class was on the brink of being cancelled. Heck, it was defintely cancelled. This was my second dissapointment. The class on Augustine...cancelled..not enough interest in Charlotte. The social ethics class would soon meet the same fate....until....one defiant student would not let it happen. I found out the reason for cancellation: cost! The irony...the class deals with economic principles and cost/benefit analysis. Of course, lacking common dencentcy, I asked about the budget and found out that technicians were to be paid on both sides. Solution: I've worked the video cams before while in class. I'd do it for free for this class and save some 400 dollars. Why? I desperately want to take this class. Maybe it will change my life :-) I gave them this offer. What did they give me? "Sorry, Wade, forget about it. The class is not happening." So, I went home and pouted and wrote the previous blog. But little did I know, Dean Bradley was considering my offer or atleast the passion to which it was being presented. I get a call the next morning, "Wade, we're going to take you up on your offer but you must committ for the whole semester and work for free." For free? I was in class and it didn't matter to me. So for the record, the class is on and it happened because of a persistent beggar who didn't know any better. For normal people this is not that big of a deal. But for those who know me know I am not the revolutionary protest guy. I usually accept what is handed and learn to cope. Oh by the way, I found a way to get paid for the class. The class happens to operate during my normal working hours in the library. My boss said he was cool with everything. My guess: He doesn't like schedule conflict and that makes him the coolest boss in the world from my perspective. Nothing like getting paid by the school to go to class. I came out a winner this time.

2005-09-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

The Brothers Barts. Indeed, we are quite the trio. And yes, we love to crash wedding receptions....so watch out!

So they drop two classes I wanted

2005-08-31T20:34:00.000-04:00

Augustine and Conservation Social Ethics....dropped...not enough people! Ah. That's two classes that I wanted to take this fall....dropped like a bad habit. I guess it is inevitable that i'll be in preaching class this fall (a class that I actually wanted to drop.) I guess this is God's way of telling me, "Wade, there's no escaping it...you're preaching this fall so be prepared to be critiqued by the man." Yeah, well....let's do it!

2005-08-31T20:20:00.000-04:00

I look so young in this picture. But then again, just last night a waitress checked my ID and said I was a baby. I'm 23!! That's ok. I don't mind having a baby face. And this pic remains to be one of my favorite.
GQing it