One Thing –Finger Eleven

 

One Thing –Finger Eleven

Here’s a song from 2003, normally when I get ready to write one of these posts I look into what other people have interpreted from the song to get a well rounded idea. This song means a lot of different things to many different people. For some it touched them because of a heart break, a dream never realized, a loved one’s illness and death, suicide etc. I think it’s beautiful how the art of music can touch all sorts of people in different ways like this. One song isn’t heard exactly the same by everyone. Even for an individual the meaning may change depending on where they are at the point they are listening to it. For example with me when I first heard this song in 8th grade what I had on my mind was a boy I liked but we couldn’t be together. In college listening to it again it meant a lot to me as I was sorting through a complicated relationship. As I moved on from that though I began to hear it differently…


One Thing –Finger Eleven

Restless tonight, Cause I wasted the light
Between both these times, I drew a really thin line
It’s nothing I planned, And not that I can
But you should be mine, Across that line

This first verse, it’s the realization of a struggle, that you are walking on the fence between sort of an empty life not necessarily sinful, but it could be, it’s not the life God is calling you to lead, and on the other side is the full life Christ is calling you to live with Him. You’re attached though to the “lesser” good on one side. “Our hearts are restless until they rest in you” St. Augustine. We’re restless because we aren’t satisfied with this other life Christ didn’t call us to, and it’s not a life we had planned to lead but one thing lead to another, one little not so good habit, one wrong choice, mistake it snow balls until we’re in this empty life not where we’re supposed to be. We’re restless because all the while Christ is calling and shouting trying to break through to us to turn and see Him and come back. The thin line it's like we're close, trying to have the best of both worlds but we see that it can't work out neatly that way. Somethings got to give. From where we are, we see Christ standing on the other side and we know that’s where we should be, but we’re not there yet.

[Chorus:]
If I traded it all,
If I gave it all away for one thing, Just for one thing
If I sorted it out, If I knew all about this one thing
Wouldn’t that be something

The chorus is sort of discernment. It’s the contemplation of what would happen if you gave up everything, all the things you are attached to, good and bad all for one thing, for Christ. That would be something! That’s ultimately what we’re all called to, to give it all, to detach from our worldly desires, give up all of this for Christ.

I promise I might, Not walk on by
Maybe next time, But not this time

This part of the song is a prayer and an honest prayer. It’s the person telling Christ okay I’m ready. I’m ready to try, to leave it behind to run to You, to fall into You, to get off the fence on Christ’s side. It’s a promise to look at Christ rather than fail to see Him there in one’s life. It is honest though. The person knows they aren’t perfect and admits that it will be hard, and this probably will not be the last time they fall into sin, fall away from Christ. This time though, in this moment they are heading in the direction of Christ.

Even though I know, I don’t want to know
Yeah I guess I know, I just hate how it sounds

The last part of this song repeats a few times a long with the chorus. It sounds to me like a realization of truth. For this person it’s seeing the truth that this life they have lead or maybe just what has happened in the past few months or few years isn’t what Christ called them to, it isn’t what or where they should be. Many of us have a real struggle with this reality. We know what we’re doing isn’t making us completely happy, we know we could be better, we know there is a greater good than what we have, but we’re so attached to what we have that we don’t want to let it go, we sometimes turn away and choose not to see the truth. We don’t like and are not comfortable with giving up what we’re used to, what we’re comfortable with. We know that God has much more in store for us and only desires our greatest good, He is the only one who truly loves us, but making room for God comes with some sacrifice on our part so that He can fill us. We have to let go and that’s not easy.

[Chorus x2]
Even though I know, I don’t want to know
Yeah I guess I know, I just hate how it sounds

Even though I know, I don’t want to know
Yeah I guess I know, I just hate how it sounds
[Chorus x3]


So don’t sit on the fence, don’t waste any more time being restless. Give it all away, give it all up for one thing, for Christ!

Music Video: One Thing- Finger Eleven

Hurt: Johnny Cash & Nine Inch Nails

 

Hurt

Throughout the teaching life of Christ, He found many who loved Him and many who only hurt Him. Many heard His teachings, heard the truth and chose not to follow Him. They questioned His credibility, mocked Him for who He was. They made mistakes, lied, stole, sought revenge, weren’t fair despite Christ’s teaching to love their neighbor, their enemies, and to forgive not 7 times but 77. Jesus always stood firm in truth, never backed off from what He taught. The truth made many uncomfortable knowing they lived in sin and needed to change. Many couldn't handle or accept the truth He taught.They saw the face of God but chose not to love Him anyways. Christ shook the dust from His shoes and kept going spreading the truth. From the Agony in the Garden to His death on the cross, Christ took on the pain caused by all of our sins and mistakes past present and future. He felt loss, betrayal, abandonment, hurts caused by anger, despair, and loneliness. As He carried His cross many of His followers fled in fear or turned against Him. One of His closest friends betrayed Him and all but one abandoned Him in His greatest time of need.

Christ only responded with love and forgiveness. The night of His arrest He didn't attempt to correct those who wrongly accused Him or deffend Himself. Luke 23:34: Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do. How many times do we cause each other pain through our indifference, our anger, when we take things out of proportion, when we act without thinking, make mistakes, betray trust and not even realize the hurt we cause another?

Christ found some solace in the good thief who recognized his own imperfections and Christ’s innocence. Christ desired to forgive Him and because this thief expressed His desire for Christ, he was promised Heaven. Luke 23:43: Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise. Christ had no fault in Him, but are we able to acknowledge our own faults and imperfections? Are we as quick to unconditionally forgive those who ask our forgiveness no matter how much pain they have caused?

 To add to Christ’s suffering He must watch His own mother suffer as she sees her only innocent Son, tortured as a grave felon, and in agony. Her heart aches for Him and His aches for her. Even though we have proven to be difficult and make mistakes, He entrusts His mother to us when He gives her to John. John 19:26–27: Woman, behold your son. Behold your mother. When someone has betrayed us, and hurt us, are we able to let it go? Do we give them the chance to be trusted again?

Abandoned and hurt, betrayed, alone, mocked and spit upon. What has He done to deserve our anger? What is this hurt He has caused you? He still doesn’t retaliate or try to save Himself. Matthew 27:46: My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? Have you ever felt the pain of someone unjustly upset with you? Christ has felt it. Is our anger ever justified or is there more to it that we fail to recognize or choose to not see?

All Christ desires is everyone’s love. At His final moments on the cross He desires to give of Himself completely to everyone, yet hardly any are there to return this love. He wasn’t just physically thirsty, Christ thirsted for our souls. John 19:28: I thirst. Do we quench Christ’s thirst?  Do we choose to love Him in loving our neighbors, our enemies, or do we withhold our hearts from Him as we with hold forgiveness and love from those who have wronged us? Do we allow our souls to receive all of Him in Holy Eucharist or do we selfishly with hold our souls from His greatest most intimate act of love?

The final moment has come. Christ is ready to let go of Himself completely offering Himself as the only pure sacrifice to save us from the eternal punishment due to us for all our sin. John 19:30: It is finished. Are we able to let go of ourselves and take the hurt? Are we able to stand back and take on another’s hurt rather than defend ourselves or seek for them to hurt the way we do?

Christ gives it all, His life over to God. He takes upon our judgment and sufferings which He doesn’t deserve. Luke 23:46: Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. Are we able to let things go, release the grudges and hurts and place it in God’s hands? Do we place the people involved, or the situations into God’s hands?

We’re imperfect, we make mistakes, we don’t think, we act stupidly, we choose to do what we already know is wrong. In all this we keep on hurting each other causing unnecessary pain to be inflicted on our enemies and our neighbors. When we act without thinking there’s a chance someone will get hurt. When we betray another’s trust we hurt them.  When we make stupid mistakes it causes hurt. When we knowingly choose do something that is wrong, we cause hurt. When someone wrongs us we want them to suffer too, we want them to know how we hurt so we cause them to hurt too by withholding our forgiveness. When we react trying to defend ourselves we may add to the hurt already in the situation. Why must we keep hurting, being hurt, and causing hurt? What does this accomplish? Why can’t we stop? We ultimately hurt Christ as we deny His love from others and choose not to let it rest within our own hearts. Christ is still going to take on the pain for us, still going to forgive us and love us if we seek Him. Christ asks us to forgive not 7 but 77 times, to love our neighbors as well as our enemies, to turn the other cheek.

 This is how we end the hurt. We Love because He first Loved us. 1 John 4:19

 

 

 

Hurt: Johnny Cash & Nine Inch Nails

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Thousand Years, by Christina Perri

Let's just forget that this song was written for Twilight for a minute and think about the lyrics. It's kind of like Song of Songs you need to listen carefully to pick out who is saying what, but can you hear Christ singing this? I have left the song lyrics in italices and my comments are in blue.

"A Thousand Years"(from "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1" soundtrack)
This first verse is us singing: We aren't sure of ourselves afraid of the uncertainty the future holds. Maybe we've messed up, maybe we've been hurt and we're afraid to trust, afraid to let go. When we're brought to see Christ, to know Him, we know we're safe, in Him we can fall and place all of our worries, doubts, joys, excitements and fears. We do not fear because He is with us!

Psalm 23:4 and Psalm 27:1
Heart beats fast
Colors and promises
How to be brave?
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall?
But watching you stand alone,
All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow.

One step closer

This next part I imagine Christ sings to us.  He died once to save us all for eternity and with each celebration of the Eucharist He completely pours out Himself, body, blood, soul and divinity, for us to receive! And this happens daily in Mass.

Malachi 1:11

God has loved us for all eternity and will continue to love us for all eternity. 

Jeremiah 1:5 and Psalm 89:33

I have died everyday waiting for you
Darling, don't be afraid I have loved you
For a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more
This next verse echos the image of the bride in Song of Songs, and as well the "Bride of Christ" image from the book of Revelation.
 Revelation 19:7-9

Time stands still
Beauty in all she is
And the last lines of the verse bring to mind Christ's passion and death to save us. Out of love He willingly took on this suffering not wanting sin to keep us seperated from Him.
Matthew 26:36-46 and John 12:23-28

I will be brave
I will not let anything take away
What's standing in front of me
Every breath
Every hour has come to this
One step closer

[Chorus:]
I have died everyday waiting for you
Darling, don't be afraid I have loved you Did you know that God says "fear not" 365 times in the Bible! one for every day of the year! For a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more

And all along I believed I would find you
Time has brought your heart to me
I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more

"A Thousand Years" By Christina Perri