“We are not alone, we live in God’s world.” (Opening line from the Statement of Faith of the United Church of Canada)
In 1995, I heard a new band. I immediately became a fan! This band was Third Day, a contemporary Christian rock band that had a great sound with powerful lyrics. I played their first album, titled Third Day, over and over again (well, it was actually a CD). I loved the music and found great strength and encouragement from the words of their songs.
One of the most poignant songs on this album is the song, “Love Song.” It was written by Mac Powell, the lead singer of Third Day. It is a song that expresses the great love that God has for us, His creation. The song shows the depth of God’s love and desire to be with us. It makes it clear that God will do anything, “Just to be with us.” The song repeats this chorus:
Just to be with you, I’d do anything
There’s not price I would not pay
Just to be with you, I’d give anything
I would give my life away
I find strength and hope from many parts of our faith, but there is no more comforting truth in our faith than this… God is with us! Even when I have strayed from God, God remains faithful and close to me. When I encounter struggles, I remember scripture, such as this one from the book of Joshua, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9) When I wrestle with difficult questions of faith, I think about the creed that we so often recite in worship that begins, “We are not alone, we live in God’s world.”
Our God is close to us. Our God has made the effort to be close to us. Our God wants to be with us. This is the source of our comfort. It is the love that is the foundation of our relationship with God. The knowledge that God would do so much, just to be with us, strengthens our faith and reminds us that we can trust God and know that, “there’s not a price (God) would not pay just to be with you.” That is love! That is good news!
Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
