Casting Crowns - Does Anybody Hear Her?

I'm not a Christian, although sometimes I play one at parties.

There are many wonderful attributes that I have taken from my Catholic/Greek Orthodox upbringing that bring peace in my life. And some that don't.

There are many ideas from the philosophy of Buddhism that I have (and continue to) adopted in my life that also bring me peace. And some that don't.

And there are my own ideas and meditations that I sit with that make me feel connected to the universe and what I feel and think that god or creation might be. And some that don't.

What I view as my spiritual path is a constant work in progress and is constantly evolving...occasionally dissolving. And when I turn into a raging bitch, I realize that it's time to get back to work.

So, I've told you all this because the above song and video was recommended to me by a really, REALLY sweet co-worker of mine at the university. He occasionally speaks "Elvish" to me (you think I'm kidding...), which is another story (that makes me want to binge drink), but he's a wonderful man.

He spoke of this song like it was magic. Like it pierced his heart and hugged his soul. So, I thought I should check it out.

It's a Christian band. And albeit the video is a little cornball, and the main character is a drunken slut because her father's a fuckface and then she eventually gets "saved" (after she has every STD in the book) by some uptight sphincters, it got me.

And even though the director of the video put the band standing in the middle of some fucking pond like they were walking (or standing) on water and they're above getting wet and really they all can suck it, it got me.

And even though all my friends are drunken sluts and I prefer them that way, like myself, and none of us would EVER wear that desperate crap she was wearing in the bar that she tried to wear the next day TO CHURCH while almost tripping over her labia as she got out of the car, it got me.

The band has a nice sound. But, it wasn't really the band or even the song that "got me", but the message. The message of not forgetting the marginalized, the outcast, not forgetting the forgotten, no matter how "tall" our "steeple" is, DOES pierce my heart and DOES hug my soul.

Because I know what it's like to be left behind. And excluded from participating...And I'll eat dirt before I ever do that to somebody else.