If I were to make a soundtrack of the last year, probably the first song on the list would be David Ruis's "We Will Dance," that Nate brought back from the Desiring God annual conference.
I love the hope in that song, and the joy, and the expectation and anticipation.
And for all those reasons I like to play it again and again.
But at the same time it is one of the most frustrating songs to play, because it seems like we can never get it right. Whatever is the "it" that I'm listening for in that song always seems to escape the performance. I wish I could hear it with a whole crowd of men shouting it, like at the DGM conference, but even then I think it would fall short of . . . something.
At the same time, I suspect that much of the sense of "no, not quite right" is because of my investment in the lyrics. The song of celebration, the shout of joy, the dance with all your might -- how can those be played with an enthusiasm that matches the intensity of meaning?
Is this maybe what hope is? To want at the same time to weep bitterly for what is not yet, but to leap and shout for joy about what certainly will be?
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.-- Romans 8:18-25
2 comments:
You know, I'd never thought about the hope in that verse as a celebratory kind of thing. The deep groanings and futility always struck me as something more... desperate.
Hmmm... Maybe this is why I don't "get" a lot of praise songs.
Yeah, I can see the desperation in the passage. But I think that's what makes the being set free from bondage to know the glory of the children of God so awesome -- He has done great things for us, and we are glad.
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