Some songs just hit home; resonate with you; ‘grab’ you. You hear versions of songs and meanings and a person’s life on the BBC’s Desert Island Discs. I came across Lewis Capaldi’s, ‘Someone You Loved’ by an algorithm shortly after the song was released. I think the algorithm linked my Doctor Who interest and Peter Capaldi (the 12th Doctor) with the song and the video clip of the song by the Organ Donation charity ‘Live Life Give Life’ in which Peter Capaldi stars as a widower who hears his deceased wife’s heart after its donation to a young mother. I thought the song a good description of grief and the video clip excellent story telling. Yes, my listening is part of the billions of streams of the song.
But I was surprised many months later – I don’t remember when – I discovered another video of the song in which Lewis Capaldi stars and sings of a relationship breakup – and, of course, the words ‘work’ there as well – they should since that was the context into which they were written. The words can ‘carry’ other breakdowns when love comes to an end but for me the song is irrevocably about death and organ donation.
My world is a world of words. When in conversation about Jesus, I find myself listening a lot to try and understand the words people have about Jesus – how they describe him – and, if possible, where those words come from. This means that I can find myself having to ‘deconstruct’ their version of Jesus and try and replace those words with Biblical ones. It is not a matter of arguing but saying that their Jesus is not found in the Bible and trying to get a Biblical perspective ‘out there’. Jesus can be co-opted for many of the world’s issues but what exactly did he say and do? The answers to such questions can ‘grab’ people – particularly because his love doesn’t come to an end!
I will never know whether Lewis Capaldi thinks that my understanding and preference of his song is ‘correct’ or ‘ok’ or ‘not the main point’ or something else. The author / composer wrote the song with a goal and have I reached it? Who determines the meaning for oneself?
Jesus is not a literary creation – even as he is the Word made flesh – and so people may want to make him in their own image or their own version of him – but as a living Being – not fictional – he says who he is and what he is on about. And that is what makes Jesus different to all other historical figures – he is alive! – and so we learn who he is by revelation – we meet him in all sorts of contexts and messages – but to know him and grow in a relationship with him and follow him means returning regularly to the Bible and the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth – learning more and more about Jesus and what God has done for us! Any other cornerstone will build all sorts of meanings and offer no peace in the end. Only the cross declares God’s love doesn’t come to an end!
GS