The song is called “O God Where Are You Now (In Pickerel Lake? Pigeon? Marquette? Mackinaw?)” (it turns out that it is a cover of a Sufjan Stevens, whoever that is...)
And, for me anyway, it reawakens the ability of the believer to doubt. Read the Psalms and listen to the schizophrenic David go from fear and doubt and desperation to beautiful praise and love and adoration.
We all feel that way sometimes. We all question God to some degree what is going on or where he is. We all wonder what motivates his wrath versus his mercy. We all sort of find those doubts when things get really bleak.
And doubt is OK. His plan is better. But in our humanity, we can take the freedom to ask and hope that His revelation will come.
David Crowder has this to say about the song: “I happened to have been quite moved by this particular Sufjan offering while a close friend of mine was dying with cancer. Sufjan’s words expressed the doubt and fear we held. I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that somehow there was hope in his address of God - ‘O God where are you now?’. I mean if the absent God wasn’t really anywhere to be found, what’s the point in asking where He is? In the question is the answer. And in the questioning even, hope. I simply wanted others to experience the same hope, born from such a desperate place of questioning that I had found in Sufjan’s simple words.”
(Post Script - The picture at the top really is Pickerel Lake from the song title. How about ol' Google Images?)
great song...i especially love the "da da da, da da da" parts. at first is provides the transistion between doubt and belief, then later, it builds, it always gives me the sense that something great is coming!
ReplyDeleteWow, I discovered this crazy thing that people can do when they read blogs. They can respond. I really need a tech savvy shot so I can keep up with you youngsters!! Really enjoyed your thoughts on "permission" to doubt. Sometimes I am amazed that David is called "a man after God's heart" He sure made some bad decisions at times but...oops, never point a finger at others cuz 4 will point back at me! Thanks God for loving us in spite of us. Sandi
ReplyDeleteHi folks..
ReplyDeletethat image of the river and the trees was taken by me...that's the Huron River in Michigan..
It's always nice if you give credit to the photographer, especially if you are hot linking to the image for your own site..
feel free to use it, but, how about putting my name on it?
Bob Coller
Michigan
http://huronriver.pinckneymich.net
huronbob@gmail.com
oops.
ReplyDeleteyou're right that is pickerel lake... when i first looked at it I thought it was one of my shots of the river...
and...you can still use it :)
bob