My husband has been dropping my son off at his school on his way to work so he’s been taking the family car. We only invested in one car seat as lets face it, they’re expensive. As a result I’ve been spending more time in our other car. It’s a basic, no frills added CR-V that gets you from point a-b very well. The thing I miss when I’m driving it is my iPhone connector. I have to listen to the radio. There is no pre-made playlist by me.
It has in a strange way been a good thing. While I like to have control of my musical destiny, listening to the radio has forced me to discover new music that I might have overlooked or never experienced as I rely heavily on John Mayer, Mumford and Sons and Jack Johnson to get me through the day. As a result of this forced radio companionship I’ve discovered new music that gives me a chance to see what’s going on in the world.
I love the melancholy sounds of Lorde as she sings Royals. The lyrics are so different from usual pop music. The sound is sparse compared to a lot of what is out there and there isn’t a lot of distraction within the track. It stands out in a set of music because it is so different from everything else. I also find myself enjoying the change in Eminem as he’s grown as an artist. It’s a rather interesting evolution. Eminem is on the radio regularly here (hazards of listening to Detroit radio I suppose). Headlights in particular displays a completely different side to him as an artist and while I’m not going to recommend him to you as he’s slightly profane, it’s what’s out there right now. This is the music that is on the radio. This is what society hears, engages in and is connected to. I haven’t been connected to it. I’ve been connected to my own music, to the things that appeal to me. Being forced to expand my musical repertoire has made me realize how disconnected I am to that which I don’t like.
This disconnect is normal in the human experience. We all tend to gravitate towards the things we like. We watch shows we like. We listen to music we like. We find people we like. We find churches we like. It extends to everything, doesn’t it? Even faith. Think about the way you express yourself. You probably engage with one aspect of God that is more comfortable to you. I lean into the spiritual side of life and embrace God in the every day moments. Friends of mine find God deep in theological tomes while others embrace the big highs that come from mountain top experiences. There is nothing wrong with any of those things. They are all authentic, real ways of engaging the one who created us. The trouble comes when we forget that the other ways of engaging God which we may not be comfortable with are real and in fact may be good for us to experience. Broadening our horizons and expanding our understanding of God can only help us as we seek to live a life in relationship with him.
I think I need to make an effort to expand how I view my faith and relationship with God. I want to begin reading the Bible in new ways, not just the ways that are comfortable to me. I need to discover new forms of prayer and expression. I could stand to discover new music, new translations and new interpretations. When we become too comfortable, we become complacent. I never wish for my relationship with God to be complacent and disconnected.
What about you? Do you find yourself compartmentalizing your faith and approaching it from the same angle each time? Do you think you need to expand your horizons and meet God in other venues and other ways?
