Questions: The Chase

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?

Are you willing to take a leap of faith and find the purpose you were created for?