From the Ashes
FROM THE ASHES
Mario D’Couto
This reflection is based on a book
called “WITH MY EYES WIDE OPEN” by Brian Welch. It is an autobiography
about the lead guitarist from the band Korn. Being a rock and a metal fan, the
minute I started reading, it kind of gripped me. While it may not be the
typical autobiography wherein one would normally begin with one’s birth, this
book is more like a personal testimony from a man who went through thick and
thin and by God’s grace, came out victorious. (For those who would like to know
more about the beginning of his life, read his other book ‘SAVE ME FROM MYSELF’).
In this article, I would like to share
some things that I learned from this book which was,
a) As an aspiring singer and songwriter, there was this
point that Welch shares about composing music and song-writing. He compares the
process to the birth of a child (where the process is fun). Yet, once the child
is born, you have a responsibility to look after it. Something similar happens
in music.
For all
those who are serious into music, whatever the genre may be, creating or
composing music is an exciting experience in as much as it could also be a nail
– biting experience. The joy and the thrill comes from creating something out
of nothing and knowing that it is you who have done, not forgetting the
positive feedback and the cheer for something you have done. Yet, given the
fact that if a person is serious into music and who would like to make it in
this field, maintaining that same level of creativity is something one would
need to keep working at, like raising a kid and helping it to grow. Hence, the
more we put in our time and effort in helping a kid to grow, it is the same
with creativity, with music or even in general. The more we spend time in
mastering our craft, the better it will become, the more it will grow.
b) As it is said that God writes straight on crooked
lines, after reading this book, it reminded me of what God can do with our
lives. He can and wants to help us but we need to ask for it in faith.
To me, I find praying like a radio
tuning itself to get a desired channel. The sad part is, we tend to turn to God
only when times are hard. How nice it would be if we stay focussed a little
more spiritually and we could pray to God more often. When we pray, we are
expressing our belief that God can do and will do. This, however, should be
done with no strings attached. God knows our minds and our hearts better than
we know ourselves. He knows our motivation and sometimes just because we have
prayed, it does not mean God’s response is immediate. He knows what is best for
us and He will act when He thinks is best.
Reading the experience of Welch, of
going through depression, of being cheated by the people he trusted,
bankruptcies, the loss of money and property, the tension between him and his
daughter, it all looked insane apparently. But God saw him through his ordeal
and he has become stronger than before.
c) Though not explicitly evident, I found something worth
noting about parenting. The first is, in as much our children may be our
children, we must not forget that ultimately it is God who is the ultimate
Parent. We are only His instruments. No wonder, children are a gift from God
because of which it is our responsibility to look after them with utmost care.
The second thing is to learn to give
space. Trying to monitor your kid’s every move is not the best thing to do.
Yes, we must take care of them. But there is also a balance that should be
maintained. It is like heating a cooker and not allowing the steam to escape.
When that happens, the consequence is obvious.
d) The final point is my favourite one and that is how
God can use us in different ways. Never sell yourself short. God knows your
potential and sees us differently than we see ourselves. The Bible is filled
with so many examples. Gideon, Samson, David, Peter, St. Paul, Mary Magdalene
and others – all their lives are a testimony of what God can do. If we examine
the ancestral lineage of Christ, the genealogy goes beyond the Hebrew
background to include a few non – Jews. There may have been a good reason for
this, as well as for the inclusion of others who had not the best reputation in
the world. One was Rahab who was a foreigner and a sinner (a prostitute); another
was Ruth, a foreigner who was accepted as one among the Israelites; a third was
the sinner Bathsheba whose sin with David cast shame on the royal line. Why
should this be the case given the fact that Jesus Christ was God and was a
descendant of King David? Possibly, it was to indicate Christ’s relationship to
the stained and to the sinful, to the harlots and sinners and even to Gentiles
who were included in His Message and Redemption. This is to say that Christ’s
salvation was for the whole of humanity and not just for a selected group of
people.
When Welch was invited to go back to Korn,
he had a lot going on with him. He was unsure about what to do until Sonny
Sandoval, the lead vocalist of the band P.O.D., and a friend of Welch gave him
the following advice, “Listen man, I think the rock world is
exactly where Jesus needs us. Think about it. We may be the only pictures of
Jesus most of these fans will ever see because they won’t step foot in a
Church.” In fact, in an interview Welch once said, “Didn’t Jesus leave all His
perfections and beauty from His spiritual paradise at home as a King on His
throne to come to the earth to hang out with us dirty, lying, cheating, messed –
up, selfish humans? Are any of us better than the fans at Korn concerts? No!
Every single human being on the planet is just as in need of God’s love as the next.
We all need Jesus and my mind has been thoroughly blown away by the fact that I
was chosen for this extremely unique call into the metal scene.”
Vance Havner once said, “Christians, like snowflakes, are
frail, but when they stick together, they can stop traffic.” Our strengths
create competition but our weaknesses create community. If people seen only one’s
strengths, they get discouraged and think that they will never be able to do
that. But when they see God using us despite our weaknesses, it becomes a
source of encouragement. This book, “With
My Eyes Wide Open” is a powerful testimony of what God can do with our
lives. God loves to use weak people. Everyone has weaknesses, be it physical,
emotional, intellectual and spiritual. At times, there may be situations and
circumstances that cause us to be weak. What matters is what we do with our
weaknesses. There is no point is trying to deny or hide them as it does not
help in any way. In fact, it only aggravates the problem.
God has a different perspective on our weaknesses. He says,
“My
thoughts and My ways are higher than yours” (Isaiah 55:9) so He often
acts in ways that are the exact opposite of what we expect. We think that God
only wants to use our strengths but He also wants to use our weaknesses for His
glory.
The Bible says, “God purposely chose what the world considers
weak in order to shame the powerful” (1 Cor 1:27). God has never been
impressed with strengths or self-sufficiency. In fact, He is drawn to people
who are weak and who admit it. Jesus regarded this recognition of our need as
being ‘poor in Spirit.’ It is the
number one attitude He blesses (Matthew 5:3).
The Bible is filled with examples of how God loves to
use imperfect, ordinary people to do extraordinary things in spite of their
weaknesses. If God used only perfect people, nothing would ever get done,
because none of us is perfect. Now that’s some encouraging news for all of us!
