There are so many instances I could pick out from last night to talk about, but one stands out above the rest. Switchfoot ended their set with their hit song, Dare You to Move. Since I was on a lawn and couldn't really see them anyway, I laid down in the grass and just stared into the night sky freckled with about twelve stars (that's twelve more than I would normally get to see downtown). The opening line to the song became so appropriate- "Welcome to the planet, welcome to existence." Last night, the words to that song finally sunk in. They took on a whole new meaning and filled me with a burning feeling that I cannot describe. As I laid there on the ground and listened to the words-
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened before
As if to say "move, get up, go. We make mistakes, we screw up, we mess up, we have bad days, but it's ok." But why? Why is it ok? What makes all of that ok? The song continues-
Maybe redemption has stories to tell
Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell
Where can you run to escape from yourself?
Where you gonna go?
Where you gonna go?
Salvation is here.
We can't run from ourselves. We can't hide from the mistakes we've made or the decisions we regret. But in that place, that low, dark place where we find ourselves after we have tried so hard to make it on our own. In the place that we fell- that is where we will find forgiveness. It's not at the top of some mountain of self-righteous acts. It's not at the end of a good deeds obstacle course. It is where we are right now. It's here. Right here. Salvation is here.
That blows my mind. The promise that we don't have to be good enough for our Savior. In a world and in a society where there are so many standards we have to live up to to be part of something. We have to be good enough for our schools to allow us to attend. We have to be good enough for fraternities and sororities to let us be a part of them. We have to be good enough for that guy or that girl to be attracted to us. And sadly, some of us have to be good enough to receive acceptance and honor from our families. But we don't have to be good enough for God. We don't even have to be close. He takes us just as we are and He loves us that way. This brings to mind a verse that never fails to bring my heart to its knees.
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
-Romans 5: 7-8
My mind is searching for words to describe what that means to me but the only thing it can come up with is "wow." Just "wow." While my life will probably never inspire anyone on this planet to give their life for mine. In spite of all of the nasty, horrible things I've done- cursing His name and deliberately disobeying His commands, the God of the universe came down and sacrificed Himself for me- just as I am.
Wow.
JK
