failure and child can never be the same thing

A few years ago The Format came out with a song called "On Your Porch." Its a very captivating song and surely there are people all over who see it as a soundtrack to their life. The premise of the song is a guy who is sitting on a friend's porch smoking and chatting about deep things. The song feels like a small window strategically placed in a location young men rarely reveal or visit requiring just the right temperature, timing, lighting, and company we put aside our motivations and explore reality.

The second verse is about how his Dad was sick and he couldn't stand around for fear of having to say goodbye. Not many sons can say that about their Dad. Who knows if they even got along, but they certainly had something complicated and woven. The conversation goes like this:

And me, I ran, I couldn't even look at him,
For fear I'd have to say goodbye,
And as I start to leave,
He grabs me by the shoulder and he tells me,
"Whats left to lose? You've done enough,
And if you fail then you fail but not to us,
'Cause these last three years,
I know they have been hard,
But now it's time to get out of the desert and into the sun,
Even if its alone."



Sometimes in America we distort parts of the Bible like Colossians 3:23 into saying we are called to be accomplished and successful. Its the new prosperity gospel...all the glamor of success, under the guise of "for God." But the humanity of this story told on a friend's porch seems too true and allegorical of heavenly love to reconcile the two. What his Dad is saying is you may "fail" but you cannot fail us, because you're already our son. Its not some fuzzy analogy for God's love being attempted in this article, its just a painting of adoration by blood ties. The point is now cliche to say, "even if you are the biggest failure, you can still know God's love." Because thats sweet and redemptive.

How often do we realize the moments of tangible affection are permanent, strictly based on the blood ties between us and God. Yeah you might not make a lot of money or friends or accomplishment, and really you don't need it either. Its more important to be talking and loving, not doing and winning.