This is my first post in quite a while, but hopefully it will be the first of many to come.  I have been listening to some new music lately from a band called mewithoutYou. One song in particular has really gripped me, and I thought it would be appropriate to share it with all of you, and a little bit of what it means to me. The song is called “The king beetle on a coconut estate”. I think it would be worth your while to give it a read (lyrics below) and a listen (link below).

http://www.last.fm/music/mewithoutYou/_/The+King+Beetle+on+a+Coconut+Estate

As the moon rose and the hour grew late,
the day-help on the coconut estate
raked up the dried leaves that fell dead from the trees
which they burned in a pile by the lake.

the beetle king summoned his men
and from the top of the rhododendron stem
“calling all volunteers who can carry it back here,
the great mystery’s been lit once again.”

one beetle emerged from the crowd
in a fashionable abdomen shroud.
said, “i’m a professor, see, that’s no mystery to me,
i’ll be back soon successful and proud.”
but when the beetle professor returned,
he crawled on all six as his wings had been burned
and described to the finest detail all he’d learned
there was neither a light, nor a heat in his words

the deeply dissatisfied king
climbed the same stem to announce the same thing
but in his second appeal sought to sweeten the deal
with a silver ??? ring

the lieutenant stepped out from the line
as he lassoed his thorax with twine
thinking, “i’m stronger and braver and I’ll earn the king’s favor.
one day all he has will be mine.”

but for all the lieutenant’s conceit,
he too returned singed and admitting defeat.
“i had no choice, please believe, but retreat
it was bright as the sun, but with ten times the heat
and it cracked like the thunder and bloodshot my eyes
though smothered with sticks, it advanced undeterred
carelessly cast an ash cloud to the sky, my lord,
like a flock of dark ravishing birds.”

the beetle king slammed down his fist
“your flowery description’s no better than his!
we sent for the great light and you bring us this!
we didn’t ask what it seems like, we asked what it is!”

his majesty’s hour at last is drawn nigh
the elegant queen took her leave from his side
without understanding, but without asking why
gathered their kids to come bid their goodbyes
and the father explained, “you’ve been somewhat deceived,
we’ve all called me your dad, but your true dad’s not me
i laid next to your mom and your forms were conceived
your Father’s the light within all that you see.
he fills up the ponds as he empties the clouds
holds without hands, and he speaks without sounds.
he provides us with the cow’s waste and coconuts to eat
giving one that nice salt taste, and the other is sweet.
sends the black carriage the day death shows its face
thinning our numbers with kindness and grace
and just as a flower and its fragrance are one,
so must each of you and your Father become.

now distribute my scepter, my crown, and my throne
and all we’ve known as wealth to the poor and alone
without further hesitation, without looking back home,
the king flew headlong into the blazing unknown.

and as the smoke king curled higher and higher
the troops flying loops round the telephone wires
they said, “our beloved’s not dead, but his highness instead,
has been utterly changed into fire.”

why not be utterly changed into fire?

There are several things that I find striking in this song, but the part that I want to talk a bit more about concerns the beetle professor. The beetle professor goes to investigate the great fire and returns with a detailed description, but there was “neither a light nor a heat in his words.” Later on in the song, the king criticizes both the professor and the lieutenant saying, “your flowery description’s no better than his / we asked for the great light and you bring us this/ we didn’t ask what it seems like, we asked what it is!”

I have spent quite a bit of time in my life talking about God. I have written essays about him, I have argued about him, I have tried to convince other people that my perspective of him is correct, etc. etc. What I have been asking myself lately is this: “ When I talk about God, is there a light or a heat in my words?” There are people in my life who are starving to know God. Not just to know about him, but to know him. When I have the opportunity to talk about God, do I disappoint them with flowery descriptions? Do I simply try to impress them with theological language? Or when I talk about God do people experience light and heat?

I think the light and heat metaphor has to do with both how we communicate about God, and what we communicate about him. In terms of how, light means revelation and heat, passion. In my writing, and in my conversations about God, I want there to be light and heat. Revelation and passion.

I value theological discussion, debate, and conversation, but it is not enough. We must go beyond it. Just like the king beetle refused to settle for second hand descriptions of the great light, we too must not settle for safe, distant, academic discussions of God who is Himself a consuming fire. The king beetle forsook all he knew, plunged headlong into the raging mysterious light, and was “utterly changed into fire.” When we move beyond talking about God and dare to truly experience God, we are changed. 2 Corinthians 3:18 “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

We are being transformed. Which brings me to what we communicate when we talk about God. In the words of the song, we are being “utterly changed into fire” as the beetle was. This transformation manifests itself in heat and light. Our words begin to emanate heat and light. Our lives begin to reflect His glory. Although we can never fully capture or convey in words precisely who God is, there ought to be something of the reality of his nature, his character, his existence that is tangibly present in our conversations. There ought to be some kind of heat in our words that makes people say, “ah… yes, what you are saying feels like the Lord.” There ought to be some kind of light that makes people say, “yes… that looks like Him too.” We may not be able to bring them the full experience of Fire (they will have to experience Him themselves for that), but in our lives and words, we can convey something of who this Fire is.

It is the Holy Spirit who fills our words with light. It is also God who can somehow be tangibly present in our lives and conversations so that people get a truer glimpse of who He is, and desire to experience Him for themselves. It is not our responsibility to conjure up heat and light. Our responsibility is to continually and consistently spend time in His presence. The more we are around the Fire, the more heat and light will radiate from us. The more His presence will fill our lives and words. It is our duty to get as close to the Fire as we can as often as we can. But better yet, why not be utterly changed into fire?

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