"Hello old friends. There's really nothing new to say. But the old, old story bears repeating
And the plain old truth grows dearer every day. When you find something worth believing
Well, that's a joy that nothin' could take away."
These are simple but profound lyrics from a profoundly simple man. Rich Mullins captured so many incredible truths within his many songs, and found a way to turn the truth inside out, revealing the marrow inside. I believe God allowed him the gift of tongues - but maybe not in a charismatic sense. Rich had the ability to reveal truth in a way that the sun burns off mist and morning dew to reveal a flowering hillside. Truth that quietly whispers its presence while constantly demanding respect as it grows stronger in our hearts.
I'm an artist and a writer. But how easy would it be for me to begin down paths that could lead me to write and create with a basis of newly acquired knowledge of man's wisdom? How long would it take for me to depend on my own interesting view of the world, mix it with the books I read and the songs I listen to and begin to suffer in my own tainted interpretation of life and meaning? This would be so easy - to be a tortured soul; a starving teller of non-absolutes. But would this really be a display of something new under the sun?
In a new book that I'm finishing, Chris Malone, a brilliant media producer, suffers from this state of being. His tainted view of life estranged him from his family, isolated him from real life and forces him into false needs and desires. His was a life perpetually accosted with the vagueness of all the gray areas of existence and the dependency on himself above all else.
Blame was his game. Everyone else was at fault. His shot glass was mostly empty while his video camera lens was coated with oil and grime. What was worse was that he could not see his own decline, as he flirted with the dangers of addiction and self destruction. Bitterness and resentment ruled his thoughts and through his thoughts the enemy ruled him. Why?
Because Chris decided to ignore the old truth that was presented to him. But finally he learns that throughout every raging thought and torrent of life, God is the one constant, unmovable, unflappable and ever present stronghold. He cannot leave us if we have accepted His Spirit. What a change of lenses! What a needed cleaning of a terribly tainted view!
This is why "the old, old story bears repeating". This is why our breath is not misspent in efforts to spread the good news of a loving Christ whose story ends with a whole new beginning for mankind.
Outside of scriptures, Rich may have said it best: "
So old friends you must forget what you had to forgive. And let love be stronger than the feelings. That rage and run beneath the bridge. Knowin' morning follows evening. Makes each new day come as a gift"
We'll share again soon.
Greg
