When Matchbox 20 used to be popular (I know
I am showing my age), they released a song entitled “Bright Lights”. I loved
this song. I’ve enjoyed covering it when playing in bands.
She
got out of town,
On a
railway New York bound.
Took
all except my name.
Another
alien on Broadway.
The lyrics tell a story of a woman who left
town for New York. The first two lines tells us that much. However the next
two, gets really depressing. We learn that this woman is heading to New York
and is leaving her husband (“Took all except my name”). The last line, tells us
the reason. She is going to Broadway to be one of the many hopefuls wanting to
succeed in an acting career.
Well
some thing in life, you just can’t change
Some
things you can’t see until it gets too late
The next stanza speaks of the husband’s
lament. Those desires in her has always been there. But he thought what they
had was enough to keep her. And then there is the fact that her leaving came
out of nowhere, things he could not see coming until she just decided to pack
up and leave.
The laments goes further as he mourns his
loss. But the husband retains a hope and here is where the song gets its title.
If the Bright Lights don’t receive you,
you can always turn around and come on home.
The next verse describes the hurt felt by
the husband. He has a hole and he has a scar now. The husband’s mourning is
repeated to draw us to empathize with him.
Then we come to the bridge of the song
where the husband goes into a rage:
Let
that city take you in
Let
that city spit you out
Let
that city take you down
For
God’s sake turn around
The whole song while titled “Bright Lights”
is incredibly dark. A lament not unlike Hebrew poetry.
In a lot of ways, this really describes us.
We left our husband, God. We went after our lusts, our Broadway and New York,
eager to make a name for ourselves. Forsaking the love that is so strong
towards us.
The song, rightly understood draws us into
the hurt felt by the husband. The Bible does this is as well. In the Book of
Hosea: “Rejoice not, O Israel! Exult not like the peoples; for you have played
the whore, forsaking your God. You have loved a prostitute’s wages on all
threshing floors.”
But praise God for the faithfulness of our
Husband, Jesus. Though we have played the adulterer, he remains faithful and
washes over our sins and purify His church with the Word. May He do so till the
wedding takes place and we are betrothed to Him.
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