Sitting snuggly on my grandparents’ cozy, burgundy couch, I
was unaware of the profound moment that I would soon experience with this
neatly packaged gift resting in my lap. It would change my life forever.
Christmas in my family isn’t just a holiday; it is a
constant party: a joyous explosion of laughter, storytelling, gift giving, and
just plain loving. Intermixed with feasts of food, movie watching, and full-on
competitive games, the main event is the giving of gifts. Unashamedly, I must
admit, the kids of the family are pumped for this time because they know that
they are about to be showered with gifts (whether or not they use or wear the
gifts is beside the point.)
There I sat, like any other Christmas, waiting on my turn to
open my gift from my aunt and uncle. It’s rectangular shape and lightness gave
away its secret identity: a CD. As my brothers finished their thank-yous and
hugs, I took to the ordinary routine of finding the open seal in the wrapping
paper and tearing it to shreds.
And there it sat. Just a normal CD to my eyes then. I gazed
at it wondering what or even who it was.
“I heard they are a really good band.” My aunt reassured me,
trying to sell me on her gift.
“O yeah, I think they sing that song, what’s it called…
Gone. Do you know it?” My uncle and cousin asked me.
I gave the
I-don’t-know-what-you-are-talking-about-but-I’ll-just-smile-and-say-thank-you-anyways
face.
“I think you’ll like them.” My brother threw in his two
cents.
Switchfoot. Hmmmmm… everyone seems to be fascinated and
interested by these longhaired rockers, so maybe I’ll give them a try.
And that’s where it all began.
I put the CD into the computer, turned the volume up just
enough so I could hear the music but not wake everybody else in the house…and
the rest is history.
Before you knew it, I was hitting Meant to Live, This Is
Your Life, Dare You To Move, and Gone on repeat, almost hypnotically memorizing
every single lyric to these songs. I even looked up the song lyrics online so I
could know exactly what they were and correct anybody who tried to sing
anything that wasn’t the right song lyrics.
Next thing you know I am at Six Flags in Arlington, Texas
with Jon Foreman, the lead singer, standing inches from me, on my row, on the
chair of the dad who brought me to the concert singing my all-time favorite
song Dare You To Move. I was so wrapped up in bewilderment and awe in the
moment that I completely forgot to reach out my hand and give him a hi five or
anything (this would soon come to haunt in me, because in every proceeding
concert I have been to, I have come inches to meeting Jon and have always
fallen short.).
And that’s when I knew he had become my role model: Jon
Foreman.
There was something so plain cool and awe inspiring about
this guy as an artist and just a human being that had me captivated. He could
pen words that not only sounded so rock and roll, but also struck a chord with
my soul. It was like he knew my life and my situations and wrote songs about
them, without even knowing me.
Needless to say, it was an understatement to call me a fan.
I was a fanatic. I bought their proceeding albums the first day they were
released. I began spreading the news about them to everyone I knew, friends,
family, and foes alike. I was unashamed of my love for this band and Jon
Foreman.
And you think it would stop there, but it didn’t. I dove
head first into this love. I started frequenting their fansite, watching
youtube clips of their concerts and interviews with radio stations (on repeat),
and read any information I could get my hands on about them.
And what I found was something that even surprised me.
These guys were genuinely caring and good guys; they wanted
the best for others. They would raise money for the homeless kids of San Diego,
they had a can food drive on one of their tours to help out with charity, they
collected backpacks on another one of their tours to give away to homeless
children. These guys were not just rock-stars onstage, but they were also
rock-stars offstage.
And what I found that surprised me is not their lifestyle,
but my response. I wanted to be like them. Of course, everyone would love to be
famous and in a band, but that’s not really what I’m talking about. I mean I
wanted to be like them in the way that I wanted to care for kids like that and
be humble and give away things to less fortunate. That’s what I wanted for my
life. And I knew that it was the right thing. I knew that this was why that
gift was given to me. That I would chase after what they are chasing after.
There never was a disconnect for me.
You see, in the beginning, back to that night at Christmas,
I didn’t feel obligated to give this band a listen. I wasn’t afraid that my
aunt and uncle would be disappointed in me if I didn’t use their gift, because,
frankly, I had done that with numerous of gifts I had been given in the past.
I was drawn out of fascination. And that fascination turned
into genuine love. And that love turned into a passion. And passion to
obsession. And obsession to a purpose.
No disconnect.
And when I read the story of the disciples being called by Jesus, that’s what I see there.
A fascination. “Who is this guy? I guess I’ll see what he is
about.”
And it turned into a love, then passion, then obsession.
And just when they thought their obsession was in vain
because of his crucifixion, he was resurrected.
And it turned into a purpose. And that purpose drove a small
group of people who fell in love with this man called Jesus to spread word that
He was alive and that he can change people’s lives forever, just like he said.
You see, it wasn’t about understanding the regulations or
following some five step plan to reach freedom, but it was realizing what they
had witnessed, what they had been given as a gift. And then, in response to
this experience, sharing this seemingly unbelievable news with anybody with an
ear to listen.
And that purpose and that news spread like fire until it
reached you and I here today, just like news of Switchfoot reached me on that
burgundy couch. We were born into this world unaware of the events that had
taken place prior to our existence, but that no longer is the case. The gift
has reached you and I.
This thing we find ourselves caught up in is not a religion
but a reality.
His actual resurrection caused a commotion two millenniums
ago, and we are still feeling the rumblings of that news today.
It’s not about pursuing principles but a person.
A real, live person. Jesus
It’s about chasing after him, wanting to know more, wanting
to be like him out of love, not out of fear of the consequences.
The question is: do you really want to become like him?
Do you see him as someone you aspire to be?
Are you even fascinated with getting to know him?
