Well I have been listening to a lot of Johnny Cash lately. Did you know that Johnny Cash has Christian Music and that I have not been listening to a lot of Christmas Music? This may strike you as odd as Christmas approaches that I'd be listening to Johnny Cash because most people have been listening to Christmas songs. I guess I am looking at this Christmas from a different point of view. There is a human element to Johnny Cash's music that seems to have been lost in a large amount of our music today. I pulled his music out of hibernation from my memory bank and I believe we need to pull the souls that we do not see very often out of spiritual hibernation from Jesus one prayer at a time this Christmas, but we need to be willing to journey with them one step at a time. Johnny Cash speaks to the heart of the struggles of life from many different perspectives in the world and I think there are a few songs of his that need to be pulled out of the cave of hibernation and that need to be revisited.
A few songs by Johnny Cash I'd recommend listening to are: "The Gospel Road" - "What On Earth" - "Have a drink of Water" - "Paradise" - "Do Lord" - "I am a Pilgrim" - "I was there when it happened" - "The Way Worn Traveler" - "Wildwood in the Pines"
All too often we look for what is next or what is new, but do we really need new things?
What if what we already have needs be re-awakened or revisited or reviewed or renewed?
What if we re-visit the places (physically or mentally or spiritually) we have visited only one time, but changed our lives forever?
Have you heard of any of the songs listed above? If not, you must ponder the lyrics. The reality of the struggle that Johnny Cash went through of living a life of holiness and struggling with the attractiveness of sin is a place for common ground for most. Johnny Cash was not perfect, but he tried to live a life of holiness. He spoke to many hearts in many different walks of life. But you know what? Jesus speaks to all hearts in any way he can to teach us how to receive his love and mercy and how to be human on this journey we call life. Our hearts speak a language and we need to listen to what moves our hearts. For example, when you listen to music, pay attention to what moves your heart and press the pause button and talk to the Lord about it. By the way, talking to Jesus about what moves our heart goes for everything in life. He is trying to tell you something about yourself or himself through the movements of your heart. We must learn to press pause in our lives. It's ok. You can do it. Relax.
Check out some of Johnny Cash's more famous songs and listen to reality of what some people go through that need the message of Jesus: "Folsom Prison Blues" - "Rock Island Line" - "Country Boy" - "Doin' my time" - "One Piece at a time"
Maybe you are thinking, "What are you trying to get at?" Well one thing I am trying to point us to realize is that every year we have hundreds of people that come to Church only on Christmas. They come out of their habit of hibernating from Jesus and the incarnation, but never come back until the next Christmas. They come in possibly not knowing why they are there in the first place, but every year they are not invited or even acknowledged as a someone who possesses the same dignity as everyone else. However, how often do YOU reach out to one of those weary travelers who are unaware of the love and mercy of Christ?
Here is my challenge for you this Christmas:
- Reach out to one person you see at Church on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day and talk to them about their story. Ask them questions about their family life. Ask them how they came to be who they are today.
- The goal is to let one person feel that they are the most important person in the world for those few grace filled seconds.
- This is not impossible. There may be one soul that just wants to be noticed or even feel loved.
- Maybe buy a gift and bring it to Church with you and ask the Lord to reveal to you one person who may need a gift. Be Creative!
- Ask yourself: Do I truly care for the salvation of anyone's soul besides my own? If you do, then go out there and take some chances.
- Christmas is about surprises.
- Surprise: God became human because he wants to save you and love you! Will you surprise someone with the gift of charity and/or community this Christmas?
Now is the time to be "doin' your time" with Jesus as you travel "The Gospel Road" because "I am a pilgrim" and you are a pilgrim. We need to "have a drink of water" with those hibernating souls and share the living water (Jn 4 ) with those who do not know the gift of God.
You can do it! I believe in you! Now is the time to have some fun and share the good news of the Incarnation of God in the Divine Person of Jesus Christ!
This is the mystery of life: To allow our relationship with Jesus to become incarnate.
Merry Christmas!
Living in the Mystery,
Zach Weber
