Mad World
This post is a part of a weekly book discussion hosted by Jason Stasyszen of Connecting to Impact and Sarah Salter of Living Between the Lines. I encourage you to check out the other posts which can be found on their sites. The Book we are discussing is The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns…this week, Chapter 6 – The Hole in Me.
All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere
Their tears are filling up their glasses
No expression, no expression
Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow
No tomorrow, no tomorrow
- Gary Jules, Mad World
I saw this chapter (The Hole in Me) in a different way than I thought I would when I first skimmed through it. The author’s journey out of a self-reliant mindset to a God-reliant one; is a reflection my life. His early life hardship forged this lifestyle and drove him to become a “self-made man”. He made an early decision concerning his parents…
“They can’t help me…not any more.”
I wonder how many have made similar choices, I know I did. Self-sufficiency becomes our MO, the way we cope with life. The problem with this decision is that there is no way we can cover all the bases…we develop holes…worn out places. We are turned inward instead of upward towards God… hide my head I want to drown my sorrow. Moments of pain poison the well of hopes and dreams. Trust becomes a word that you, well, can’t trust. It's a very, very mad world mad world.
That’s why I needed a Savior, to close up the leaks, someone to restore the well of living water inside me. Plugging the holes takes a Messiah.
Recently my oldest son Joshua sang the song Mad World by Gray Jules (the link is below) as a “pour his heart out in a Psalm sort of way” moment. It’s a way too depressing song but it got me thinking of the many hole-filled lives around us…familiar faces…that need a Savior. It’s a mad world, one that needs a people to step out of themselves and show the way to the Father. It needs us, his sons and daughters, living the Gospel in everyway the King asks us to do.
Plugging holes, mine, yours and the worlds…the Savior is ready
and willing…are we? Am I?
We know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 1 John 4:16
Joshua is a filmmaker, artist, actor, voice actor, and is trying his hand at singing. You can see/hear some of his creativity here.
Comments
^^^ that's my story too - when you can rely on no one but yourself, this is what happens. I am grateful that a Loving Savior showed me how to trust again.