Vice Verses

Seeing Switchfoot live at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire earlier this week was incredible – possibly one of the greatest gigs I’ve ever been to. As ‘frontmen’ go, you don’t get much better than Jon Foreman, and the musical accomplishment was second to none!

In the US, Switchfoot are quite big in the secular music stream, but over in the UK they tend to be more popular on the Christian music scene. Their lyrics are inspired – drenched in wisdom and the Spirit of God, strikingly relevant and beautifully poetic.

Their latest album, Vice Verses has some outstanding tracks – not least the title track. On Tuesday they also played a load of their older stuff – including my favourites This Is Your Life and Dare You To Move.

The song Restless is epic. It speaks of a search for God that doesn’t relent, doesn’t give up. ‘Always longing for the deeper ground’ shows the desperation.

I am restless
I am restless
I am breathless
I’m looking for you

I can hear you breathing
I can feel you leading
More than just a feeling

I can feel You reaching
Pushing through the ceiling
‘Til the final healing
Everything completing

Our experience of God is more than just a feeling. It’s real – He leads us and cares for us. He is reaching for us, desperate to take us with Him on His journey that He has marked out for us. It’s all about the final healing – when we are finally transformed into the likeness of Jesus and made complete.

Healing has always been a process – a process that we all need for various reasons. But some things will never be healed this side of heaven – the final healing. We have to trust God that He will carry us through to that point, until we are with Him for eternity.

A beautiful promise – Jesus wants us to take our burdens to Him, daily, and leave them there. He wants to give us His ‘yoke’ – which is easy and light. (Matthew 28:11).

He is longing to heal us.