What do you need?

I am pretty sure I have mentioned before that I have a new band that I love, The Waifs. They are from Australia and have recently been on tour with Bob Dylan. A lot of their music makes reference to cultural things in Australia and not being from Australia well I don't really get it. Fortunately most of their songs really connect to me, because their words speak of things we can all identify with. If you are interested in listening to any of their music, I have some of it on the bottom of this blog. Otherwise please go to Itunes and look them up.

I tell you all of that to say that I have had part of their live album in my CD player for weeks now. Every time I listen to it I discover new lyrics and I find myself thinking, wow, I know what you mean. This verse has been on repeat for me this week and finally tonight I thought maybe I should share this with others. So here you go:

People don't hunger;
Only for food;
How easy would that be;
So basic and crude;
There's so much more you need;
Just to help nourish you
- Here If You Want, The Waifs

Being a songwriter myself, I never like to discuss what lyrics mean for me. I think a great song speaks to each of us in its own way and draws memories that only we can personally know. That is the great thing about music!!! But these words speak soo much truth. Why is it that sometimes you wake up and realize, I have only been exisitng? Is it that we don't want to really think about the truth of what we are really hungering for?

Maybe none of this makes any sense to anyone but me. That's the problem with interpreting lyrics for other people. But I suspect that some of you out there understand this notion. I think the farther we push away our real needs of nourishment, the more we need it. Think about how easy life would be if we really only hungered for food? I can tell you it would be a hell of a lot easier for me!

A couple of weeks ago I had an email conversation with a friend who is living overseas right now. He said "I feel like I am on an island" and it has allowed me to figure out who I really am and what I really want. I understand this, and I hope that everyone can have this kind of experience. Its often lonely, but you really dig deep and realize what is important to you. I don't think these "island" experiences only happen at our age, or that you have to move overseas to be all alone! No, I think they can happen anywhere, anytime, and at any age. I think it is completely normal and a really good thing spiritually, and mentally. Jesus took a lot of time alone praying and thinking!

I wish I had some really great conclusion to these thoughts, but the truth is I don't. I guess I am just encouraging all of us to try and be aware of the other things we need to nourish us besides food. Even if we realize what we need, we should also push pass the fear of asking others for their help and love and encouragement. We can't go at this alone.

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