140 Words Or Less

The phrase “peace on earth” is used a lot during the Christmas season.  Like John Lennon dreaming of the day when “War is Over” or Bing Crosby  longing for the respite of a “White Christmas”, the season stirs in us a desire for a respite from the craziness of life.  This year, the longing for “peace” rings especially true as 2011 was undoubtedly the craziest, most unexpected year of our lives.   Many times I wished  for “peace”, a moment when everything would slow down and life would start unfolding according to plan.  It hasn’t happened yet  but I am reminded that Jesus, the prophesied “Prince of Peace”, was born in the chaos of a barn, to stressed out parents in a world of political upheaval.  Peace, it seems, is not a respite from circumstances, but a comfort within them.   Word Count: 139 Words

The first time I heard "The Adventure" was while riding in a friend's car in 2006.  Back then we used these things called "cd's" which were kind of like thin plastic donuts that played music when attacked by a laser.  I’ve listened to this song hundreds of times since that day but it wasn’t until this morning that I realized that Tom Delonge had somehow written more than just a great rock anthem.  Whether he intended to or not, the guy who streaked butt naked through the "All The Small Things Video" and titled an album "Take Off Your Pants and Jacket" somehow managed to write perhaps the best worship song of the last five years.  

“Last Friday Night” by Katy Perry may be the quintessential Top 40 radio song.  A gem of a pop song, it describes a wild night of ecstasy, inevitably summed up by a Facebook post along the lines of “OMG! BEST NIGHT EVER!!!!!”.  This is the fantasy of pop music; the right recipe of drinks, beats and hookups will produce a transcendent moment that makes life worthwhile.  Eventually Monday arrives and reveals that Friday was merely an escape, changing little and leaving us craving the arrival of the next life-altering moment.  Friday, it turns out, was nothing but an artificial emotional experience constructed out of hype, music,  diluted judgement, raging hormones and the anonymity of a crowd.  The appeal to impressionable young people hungry for meaning in their lives is obvious.  Any resemblance to a church youth convention is purely coincidental.   Word Count: 140 words