At church on Sunday we sang Luther's classic hymn A Mighty Fortress is our God and it really struck me how death is described as a great evil, but yet ultimately is defeated through Christ's death and resurrection. The song is fittingly sombre, and very powerful. I was really moved to anger at death, at the evil of Paula's death. The good kind of anger. Then we sang Blessed be Your Name a contemporary worship song. The lyrics aren't really all that bad (I had a look at them again today), but it is sung in such a way-too-happy sort of way. "You give and take away/ My heart will choose to say/ Lord, blessed be Your name" I couldn't sing it, at least not like that, with everyone else so seemingly happy. Do they know what it means for the Lord to "take away?"
Here is what makes more sense to me, something written by Nicholas Wolterstorff that I recently shared with my friend Mendelt:
"The Bible speaks of God's over-coming death. Paul calls it the last great enemy to be overcome. God is appalled by death... Seeing God as the agent of death is one way of fitting together into a rational pattern God, ourselves, and death. There are other ways: ...God too is pained by death much even more than you and I are; but there's nothing much he can do about it. I cannot fit it all together by saying 'He did it' but neither can I do so by saying 'There was nothing he could do about it.' I cannot fit it together at all. I can only, with Job, endure. I do not know why God did not prevent Eric's [Paula's, Marisa's] death. To live without the answer is precarious. It is hard to keep one's footing... I have no explanation. I can do nothing else than endure in the face of this deepest and most painful of mysteries. I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and resurrecter of Jesus Christ. I also believe that my son's [wife's] life was cut off in its prime. I cannot fit these pieces together. I am at a loss... To the most agonizing question I have ever asked I do not know the answer. I do not know why God would watch him [her] die. I do not know why God would watch me wounded. I cannot even guess... I am not angry, but baffled and hurt. My wound is an unanswered question. The wounds of all humanity are an unanswered question."
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6 comments:
Couple of thoughts here.
I have often wondered if anyone else thought the
same of those lyrics in Blessed Be Your Name - the
almost jubiliant sound singing about giving and taking away. Strange.
The phrase from NW "I can do nothing else than endure..." is so incredibly powerful and honest. When faced with (sudden) sorrow, change, temptation, it comes down to simply moving forward with whatever shreds of hope or life we might have left. The smallest of steps... enduring.
In this culture, particularly now more so, we long
to solve or fix each others' problems. Man wants to understand everything and control everything. Yet these unanswered questions will remain until He comes to make all things new. More so than ever, the words of Psalm 23 - Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, YOU ARE WITH ME. You are WITH me. He is WITH us.
God bless you and Micah in the coming weeks.
Sara Pot
I could not agree with you more. I have often thought the cadence of the song in no way matched the lyrics.
Darren,
Thanks for sharing that piece with us, very thought provoking! We continue to pray for you and Micah as you enter into many new things in the months to come
Anita Lubbers
Do they know what it means for the Lord to "take away?"
Those words sure do strike home, Darren. That is also one of my favourite worship songs. I think I will sing it differently, now.
Love you dear friend!! xoxo
Hi Darren,
You don't know me, but I have seen your blog from the beginning, linked from Marisa's site. I have been pondering your post since it was written. I have always said to our worship team "I wonder if I'll truly be able to sing these words if/when I encounter a monumental loss in my life". It always makes me pause and want to make sure that I don't sing those words lightly. I believe you are right that it should not be sung lightly or in the wrong manner, and always, always with sensitivity to those around us who have experienced the loss. Incidentally this song was written shortly after 9/11 - not as a response to individual loss, but as the songwriter's lament. The answer, I guess is found in the "choosing" - that despite the circumstances and the feelings so powerfully described by NW, we will still - in the end - choose to say "blessed be your name". Having read your blog and Marisa/Mendelt's, it strikes me as a "when" thing. I know that we sang that song in church the week after Marisa passed away, and rather than singing, I was flooded with tears...but I believe my heart was still choosing...I don't want to sound trite, but I have prayed throughout this year, and will continue to do so, that God will continue to bless you with His peace & His presence. God go with you as you make many life changes in the upcoming months. Yours in Christ, Sonya.
I remember reading somewhere that, when Lazarus died, the words that are translated "Jesus wept" describe a deep, visceral emotion that included rage and anger. Somehow it helped me to know that Jesus was angry at a friend's death.
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