What explains 330,000,000 visits to a youtube worship video and for 70,000 of the visitors to leave comments on the page? I think the answer is not the music, but the wonderful Name – Jesus.
‘We are out of sync with God’s natural rhythms of life.‘
We live in a fast changing Western culture where we are under constant pressure to perform, to achieve, to succeed and to get on. This all leads to frustration and a restlessness of spirit that affects us all. We are out of sync with God’s natural rhythms of life.
A missionary was travelling with tribal porters carrying the luggage. On the first morning, on the missionary’s instructions they set out at a great pace – in Western style with planned time schedules to keep. But the next morning the porters refused to move—saying yesterday we walked too fast, today we are resting so that our souls can catch up!
In our hectic Western world we are all going too fast and we are leaving our souls behind!
Beautifully and radically different –
What Jesus offers me is altogether different. He offers peace and rest. During his earthly life he was never flustered or caught unawares. He had time for compassionate response to the many needy people who flocked to him for help and healing. None went away disappointed. He had time for leisurely meals with people and for deep conversations. He lived at God’s pace – therefore he always had time, time for people– and time for fellowship with his Father in prayer.
The Russian writer Dostoevsky wrote: “I believe there is no one lovelier, deeper, more sympathetic and more perfect than Jesus.”
Jesus was graciousness, gentleness and kindness personified, summing up all that we would most like to be in our best moments. He handled with tenderness ‘broken reeds’ and ‘flickering candles’, hurting people whose light was about to go out. He was the ‘doctor of souls’ and they crowded around him. This same Jesus is alive today and his promise of “a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair” (Isaiah 61) is still there for the asking.
“Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Matthew 11:18-20 from ‘The Message’
This is the Person I want to get to know better. From the response to the youtube video ‘What a Wonderful Name’ I am clearly not the only person to think so. Look at some of the 70,000 comments at the end of this video:
Link to ‘What a Wonderful Name’ by Hillsong (Skip the opening advert!)
Next Page Be Still my soul
A Listening Heart 