Let me start this post by saying every time I write a headline for a post real bloggers are are screaming in their lattes. Perez Hilton must role his eyes because I am terrible and writing creative headlines. I think that they must all be cleaver quips or deep inviting thoughts that make you want to read the post. Where as I am nothing more than a smart alec trying to be clever. It never quite works out so well. any way let me begin.
This past summer while trying to find more permanent employment I began working mowing lawns for a friends landscaping company. While working I had a lot of time to listen to music. I would generally would fall into a repetitive group of albums for about a week. One of the albums I enjoyed was John Mayer’s Where The Light Is. This is a really good live performance and if you like Mayer or just like good guitar playing I highly recommend it to you. I personally think John is my generations Clapton or Vaughn (Stevie not Jimmie in case you were wondering). Some out there might not agree with me but that’s fine because I am right anyway, get used to it.
One of those hot days while mowing instead of just allowing the music to be background noise I heard John begin to talk and what he was saying struck me, or what felt like to me, profoundly. During his cover of Hendrix Bold As Love he takes some time to converse with the crowd and discusses the point to which his search in life has lead him. Here is a quick run down of the speech. I’ve tried every approach to living (not everything but every approach). I’ve tried buying things, shutting off the world to be a “mad” genius, at 30 I’ve made a lot of things happen for me (which when in your twenties is a cool thing), but all that means I’ve found a way to synthesize love which doesn’t work. The last approach to try is LOVE, not Hollywood “roman candle, hot pink” love but the I’ve got your BACK love! I’m going to experiment with this love thing, giving love… feeling love, it’s the last thing to check out before I “check out”. Take me to the solo one more time…
Now there is more to what he said, and I recommend listening to the whole thing, but when I really heard what he had said I felt in my heart like John you are so close. He is absolutely right in that it is about love, love for our neighbor, for all those around us, and love for the lost. There are even Christians out there that don’t even fully understand this. Though he is right in that I think he falls short is that he has not yet attached that love to Christ. We love because He first loved us (I John 4:19). Without the love of Christ our love is powerless. Without God our love is incomplete and Mayer is so close to this but still missing the mark. We need the love that John Mayer is talking about, the love where we are there for those we profess to love but it still falls short of the complete love that comes with the sacrifice that Christ made.
I guess for me the question is in my daily walk and life of worship do I make the same shortfall? Do I in my search for purpose forget to complete my love and leave out Christ in my haste forget that my Love of God should lead me to love the people around me. I don’t know the status of John’s salvation or where he is at in life at this point and I probably will never get the chance to discuss it with him. He seems so close and it does seem as though he is searching, but he according to what he said he still is missing the most important piece. Love comes from Christ and that love is what completes, fulfills, and ultimately saves.
I feel like this post has gotten a little away from me, maybe a little too sermon like. I hope it didn’t. I will keep working on my headlines though maybe they will get better.