You’ve got it all wrong about getting it all wrong
When I started to enjoy playing electric bass, at some point I heard Jaco Pastorius’ self-titled album, and thought: “Ah ha ha! Yes! Here it is. This is bass music. In my dreams, this is the album I would have recorded.”
After being a Christian for many years, I read Donald Miller’s book “Blue Like Jazz”, and thought: “Ah ha ha! Don Miller has written my biography!” After reading this book, I had a realization that liberated me irreparably: Jesus Christ isn’t a religion, He is a person. Jesus is God, too. He doesn’t want our stoic or fearful service, He wants our hearts to come alive. Jesus didn’t bleed and suffer and die for us so that we can follow some rules. He died and came to life again so that we can be alive... with Him! I realized: ‘It is for freedom that Christ set us free.’
A couple books recently have lifted the weight of ‘The Law’, so to speak, from my shoulders in a lesser way. I’m beginning to feel free to call what I write “poetry”.
Just like the auditory ivory tower has bound so many rules on what might properly be called “Jazz” and have therefore undermined the spirit of that style which is the wild, liberated, anthem of “joy will rise in the heart no matter how dark the man’s cell”. That is how I think of Jazz. It is so energetic and hopeful; even in the slowest, darkest song. That something so restrained could have such beauty is a testament to what it is. At its best (my favorite, I mean :) ) Jazz has a beauty and power and speed and energy and an element of the indescribable that makes you realize there is more to life than what can be seen or described and even more than can be felt. You’re thinking I’m describing Jazz myself and falling into the same error. I hope not. I confess everything must have boundaries else it is everything else. The idea that if something is everything, it is nothing; has been noted before by others. This I admit. But what I hate is the weighty shackles and measuring rods and arbitrary rules that ignore a beautiful thing because it isn’t “in”. We are fools who engage in this judgement. To be uniform necessarily precludes being beautiful! If every woman had precisely the same face, there would be no beautiful women. And I know that a beautiful woman does actually exist, I will have you know! I am sure of this because she is my wife. My wife is beautiful.
So too, the literary ivory tower has piled high the (ironically) books which describe what is and what isn’t poetry. *Sigh* Again, I admit, we must have some definitions. But please, my friends, loosen your belts! Is this not enough: “A poem is: an arrangement of words written for the sake of beauty.”?
So, I shall write. I will seek to arrange words in order to engage in beauty-making.
Jesus came to fulfill The Law. The Law taught us much. Even with its own kind of beauty, though, it could never be as beautiful as Jesus. Our Hero has come at last. Oh we languished so long under the realization that “WE CAN’T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU!!!” Then: You came! Oh God, our God. You yourself came to us. You took our form and became a humble and unsuspecting savior. You rocked the universe to its foundation by... dying. We never saw it coming! We were bound for eternal death from our evil deeds and you took our place! Oh, sweet redeemer! You paid our debts! As slaves that could never earn our freedom, you bought us out of slavery with... your blood! My God! My God! Why have you remembered me? It is too wonderful for me to comprehend. Lord. Amen.
Just like this, The grace of The Son of God - God Himself has rescued us and invited us into the life of freedom (out from under slavery to rules [and slavery to death]). Then we begin to write laws about how to live out from under The Law.
We have done it to the Most Glorious and we do it to some of His gifts as well.
Lord, set us free! True freedom, we mean. Are there right and wrong still? Yes, we know. Make our hearts to desire the right and pursue it. Help us know where is the limit that the rules and rule-making must stop. God, may we always desire that ourselves and others grow in love toward you! May all we do be driven by love! Amen.
Lord, please help us seek, and make, beautiful things for your glory and the good of all around us. In Jesus’ name, amen.
-mark