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I love down-tempo dance music; massive attack, the orb and
groove armada are obviously some of the greatest artists in
the world- ever! For ages ambient music was sidelined as music
for crusties or new agers so its current fashionable status
makes me very happy. Don't know what I'm talking about? Go
to HMV and you will find racks of compilations, Cafe del Mar,
Clubbed out, Buddha Bar, Hed Kandi- all serving their own
blend of dance music you can't dance to.
Why has it become so trendy again? Well it's obvious, because
it's better than anything else - no wait, I believe there
are other reasons too. This is the music of refuge and of
escape. It is sonic bubble bath, audio hot chocolate, scarf
and matching mittens for you mind. Chill Out is the flip-side
to Hip Hop and Nu Metal, Limp Slip Roach point out everything
that is bad with the world giving an outlet for the alienation
and aggression felt by so many of us. They fight the noise
and confusion of Urban Society with more noise of their own,
battle chaos with chaos. Chill Out does the opposite, it creates
a private world, a passing moment away from the tumult. It
functions in the same way as giant purple rooms at the millennium
dome, as adverts that say "leave the country now"
to advertise their holidays and as the Ikea fueled passion
for minimalist, peaceful living surroundings. All show us
that we need a place to hide.
The refuges offered by our culture won't last. Even (though
it hurts to say this) the chill out CD in my stereo will finish
and then the busyness, the noise, the rush will still be there.
So what can we do? Listen to Jesus' words,
"If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come
to me and I will give you rest. Take the yoke I give you.
Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle
and humble, and you will find rest. This yoke is easy to
bear, and this burden is light." (Matt 11 28-30).
Jesus commands us go to him for our refuge, this does not
just mean giving him the really big problems that we can't
cope with, it means everything; all the worries, all the niggles,
all the anxieties of daily life. After all if he is able to
stop the waves on the sea of Galilee and break the power of
sin on our lives, he can do something with our post-millennial
tension too if only we would go to him, not just once but
again and again, every time we find tension or striving in
our lives.
It is all very well to say that, but how can we practically
do it? Well you need to find out the best way for yourself.
I do a few things, draw or photograph a picture that reminds
me of him, stick some music on, read the bible, say a prayer
or read a poem. All those methods are secondary to him though.
The music or the art is not what calms me (though I must be
honest,
sometimes I get confused and start to believe it does). They
are the garden paths that take me to the cottage, Jesus. Ultimately
they are things that just make me stop, take in the surroundings
and open myself to his spirit. That is what calms me. So what
about you, have you put down your own burdens recently and
taken up his yoke?
Just one more little thought. We have seen that there is a
world longing for shelter and hiding. We know the only one
who can provide a lasting place of security and shelter. It
follows then that we should be the ones who best able to construct
paths and roads into rest. To put it bluntly, we should be
the best at chilling.
How do we integrate that into our mission and offer people
the rest that they need?
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