“Oh my God!”, the Rock Bottom Cry of Believers, Leavers, Atheists, and Blasphemers

How many times in your life as a Christian have you listened in on a conversation and heard the sentence, “Oh my God”, and your zealous response is “Don’t take my God’s name in vain!”? Guilty? I know I am/was, but how a person treats a simple phrase like “OMG”(AIM lingo for you internet geeks), shows so much about his/her soul, and at the very pinnacle sometimes in despair, “Oh my God!” is the only cry that can come from a fallen warrior(or from a Savior crying in agony).

Two months ago when I thought I had met my financial doom with tuition and fees, the only words I could mutter out of desperation and tears were, “Oh God! Oh my God! Jesus! My God!”, but I wasn’t blaspheming, I was pleading to the only God who could help me, and He did by the way.

Yes, this one simple sentence though raw and sharp finds its true meaning in the heart of all people. For some it is out right blasphemy and lack of concern, but for others like me, and those who suffer worse, it is a cry filled prayer.

Dan Haseltine of Jars of Clay, had this to say about their new song “Oh my God” off their incredible album “Good Monsters”:

“With Oh My God, we wanted to kind of communicate that everybody at some point intersects with God, whether they choose to believe or not, and people all have their reasons for crying out to God. And some of those are really deep, deep doubts. There are times when I wrestle with that now, but growing up I didn’t know the gospel could stand up to the scrutiny. It’s a question that I think needs to be asked. This song has three parts. It starts out being many people’ stories and the third part is my personal story…Why I cry out to God.”

Here are the lyrics to “Oh my God”:

Oh my God, look around this place,
Your fingers reach around the bone,
you set the break and set the tone
For flights of grace, and future falls
In present pain all fools say, “Oh my God.”

Oh my God, why are we so afraid?
we make it worse when we don’t bleed,
there is no cure for our disease.
Turn a phrase and rise again,
or fake your death and only tell your closest friends,
Oh My God.

Oh my God, can I complain?
You take away my firm belief and graft my soul upon your grief.
Weddings, boats, and alibis,
All drift away, and a mother cries…

Liars and fools, sons and failures, theives will always say..
Lost and found, ailing wanderers, healers always say..
Whores and angels, men with problems, leavers always say..
Broken hearted, separated, orphans always say..
War creators, racial haters, preachers always say..
Distant fathers, fallen warriors, givers always say..
Pilgrim saints, lonely widows, users always say..
Fearful mothers, watchful doubters, Saviors always say..

Sometimes I can not forgive
and these days mercy cuts so deep,
If the world was how it should be, maybe I could get some sleep.
While I lay, I’d dream we’re better, scales were gone and faces lighter,
When we wake we hate our brother, we still move to hurt each other,
Sometimes I can close my eyes and all the fear the keeps me silent,
Falls below my heavy breathing, what makes me so badly bent?
We all have a chance to murder, we all have the need for wonder.
We still want to be reminded that the pain is worth the plunder.

Sometimes when I lose my grip, I wonder what to make of heaven,
All the times I thought to reach up, all the times I had to give up.
Babies underneath their beds, in hospitals that cannot treat them.
All the wounds that money causes, all the comforts of cathedrals,
All the cries of thirsty children, this is our inheritance,
All the rage of watching mothers, this is our greatest offense
Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God.

~ by catechismatic95 on February 11, 2007.