Matt's Blog

The other day I'm driving down 71 with MaryEllen and Maly, and Maly wants to sing. We tell her to go ahead and we'll try to join in. So she launches in to Piano Man by Billy Joel. Between the three of us I think we got most of it knocked out. Piano Man didn't get us to Butler, so Maly picked another of her favorites, Silent Night, all three verses. And of course singing along with my wife and daughter to Piano Man and Silent Night got me thinking about what else, communion meditation.

If you're not familiar with Billy Joel's masterpiece about the loneliness and emptiness that is part of so many lives, let me read a bit of it to you. If you know it already, feel free to sing along.

Its nine oclock on a saturday
The regular crowd shuffles in
Theres an old man sitting next to me
Makin love to his tonic and gin

He says, son, can you play me a memory?
Im not really sure how it goes
But its sad and its sweet and I knew it complete
When I wore a younger mans clothes

Now john at the bar is a friend of mine
He gets me my drinks for free
And hes quick with a joke or to light up your smoke
But theres someplace that he'd rather be

Now paul is a real estate novelist
Who never had time for a wife
And he's talkin with davy who's still in the navy
And probably will be for life

And the waitress is practicing politics
As the businessmen slowly get stoned
Yes, they're sharing a drink they call loneliness
But it's better than drinkin alone

And it's into this night, and every night, of loneliness and desperation that God steps. And when he does, shepherds quake at the sight, glories stream from heaven, and heavenly hosts sing Alleluia! Christ the savior is born.

While I was working on this yesterday, I took a break to look at facebook. So with the idea of Christ stepping into our broken lives, let me read to you the last few status changes made by a girl, one of my past students, a kid I like a lot.

tired of it all

doesnt really know what to think about things lately

is tired of being everyones second choice!!!!!!!!!

why cant i just freaking hate, after all you have freaking done to me, i havent even spoke to you, i thought thats what you wanted, WHY THE freak DO I LOVE YOU!!!!!!

and finally, yesterday's status

just want someone who cares, someone i can hold, and someone to love me unconditionally, despite my problems or issues

My heart broke. Here I'm writing about baby Jesus born in a stable, who grew up with the mantle of son of god and messiah, yet spent his time befriending outsiders, the lonely, the lost, and proclaiming that the kingdom of god is at hand. And here I am now believing that that kingdom is here, and proclaiming that kingdom; and meanwhile the world is full of lost lonely outsiders who are crying out, and not just john and paul and davy from a song, but real people that we know and love.

This morning we don't have to share a drink called loneliness. Amen? But we do share a drink that reminds us that there was a time when our god was lonely; that reminds us that there are those out there, and those right here, who are lonely. We share a drink that reminds us what was done for us when we were searching for some meaning in this world; and encourages us, I hope, to bring that meaning, to bring that Jesus, to others who still search.