Metallica

So, I've never been a fan of Metallica. When they played their song in chapel on Wednesday, I couldn't even really understand the words of "Unforgiven" although I recognized the song. However, I thought that Pastor John Van Sloten had some good things to say.

Metallica's anger at injustice echoes a lot of what the Bible says about things gone wrong in the world. Amos 5:7 says that justice is gone, and that's what Metallica rages against in several of their songs. When Metallica screams that truth, they connect to us. Us who know that it's true. The world is a messed up place.

The Bible says that, too. All of us fall short, all of us have been separated from God, from goodness, from light. Our collective sinful condition creates the world we rage against, in fact. It is my slight to my roommate that is part of the larger structures of injustice and disinterest in the world.

So what do we do? The world is a broken place.

1) Keep raging. Like Metallica, just write more songs that scream about how awful it is. Have more conversations over coffee about the problems in the world. Smoke on the sidewalk and raise our voices against the systems that continue to oppress people.

...right. that sounds like it will do a lot of good.

2)Stuff it. Just suppress the anger. Entertain ourselves with chick flicks and comedies so we don't have to think about the problems of the world. Have everyone share concerned looks then move on to something else in the conversation, covering up the pain with quick, superficial swipes.

...been there, tried that, still hurts.

3)Forgive. The antidote for anger is forgiveness. This is the solution God came to. He could have hated us for our stupid ways and our rebellious attitudes. He could have tried to plaster over it and make the best of our filthy situation. But instead, he came, and he lived with us, and he forgave us. God has extended grace to us so that we can extend grace to others - even ourselves.

The good news of the Gospel is that we can be clean, we can be free from the anger and the hurt that haunt us. Like the lead singer of Metallica (Hetfield) said in an MTV interview, "At the end of the day, I'm broken inside." When we realize our hopelessness, we can turn to the source of all hope. We will learn that we are no longer outsiders, but we belong - belong to God.

And so a Wednesday morning chapel became more than about how Metallica came to church. It reminded me of the day Jesus came to my life. Days, actually.

...there's a solution I can live with, live in. The lavishness of the riches of God's glorious grace. Mmmm. :)