Welcome to the fourth installment of a music video divina series on the theme: 'atheism for lent'. I've invited Jeni Grangaard, a Luther senior and savvy theologian working at the intersection of faith and culture, to post today. Here's my introduction to the series. And here's Jeni's post:
Of all places, The Arcade Fire wrote 2007’s Neon Bible in a Petite Église in rural Quebec. Though the site selection came more out of a desire to have their own space than to be in a church, the location was fitting for Neon Bible.
In an interview with Paste Magazine in April, 2007, lead singer Win Butler said this: “Neon Bible is addressing religion in a way that only someone who actually cares about it can. It’s really harsh at times, but from the perspective of someone who thinks it has value.” Perfect for a video divina on the topic of Atheism for Lent.
Their 2004 album, Funeral, was written in the aftermath of three deaths. It’s an honest album that faces death head-on and chooses life. Funeral is the more hopeful album, especially the songs “Neighborhood #3: Power Out” and “Wake Up,” Neon Bible reaches for fear and searches the darkness in order to see the light. I gave it to the youth director at my internship site and she politely and quickly returned it the next day saying that it was “just too dark for her.”
And dark, it is. The song “Intervention” is dark enough to scare anyone away. “Who’s gonna throw the very first stone? Oh! Who’s gonna reset the bone? Working with your head in a sling, gonna hear the soldier sing. Working for the church while your family dies…you take what they give you and hold it inside. Every spark of friendship and love will die without a home…Hear the soldier’s groan, we’re goin’ it alone.” brings the war home and challenges anyone who thinks brandishing “Support Our Troops” is enough.
Though it’s dark and marked with fear, it’s a different kind of fear, fear that leads to hope. Win continues, “There are two kinds of fear: The Bible talks a lot about fear of God—fear in the face of something awesome. That kind of fear is the type of fear that makes someone want to change. But a fear of other people makes you want to stay the same, to protect what you have. It’s a stagnant fear; and it’s paralyzing.” It is the former, rather than the latter that they seek and, I would suggest, find.
Lyrics: “Neon Bible” from Neon Bible (very cool video below)
A vial of hope and a vial of pain,
In the light they both looked the same.
Poured them out on into the world,
On every boy and every girl.
It's in the Neon Bible, the Neon Bible
Not much chance for survival,
If the Neon Bible is right.
Take the poison of your age,
Don’t lick your fingers when you turn the page,
What I know is what you know is right,
In the city it's the only light.
It's the Neon Bible, the Neon Bible
Not much chance for survival,
If the Neon Bible is right.
Oh God! well look at you now!
Oh! you lost it, but you don’t know how!
In the light of a golden calf,
Oh God! I had to laugh!
Take the poison of your age,
Don’t lick your fingers when you turn the page,
It was wrong but you said it was right,
In the future I will read at night
In the Neon Bible, the Neon Bible
Not much chance for survival,
If the Neon Bible is true
Take the poison of your age,
Don’t lick your fingers when you turn the page,
It was wrong but you said it was right,
In the future I will read at night.
In the Neon Bible, the Neon Bible
Not much chance for survival,
If the Neon Bible is true.
Of all places, The Arcade Fire wrote 2007’s Neon Bible in a Petite Église in rural Quebec. Though the site selection came more out of a desire to have their own space than to be in a church, the location was fitting for Neon Bible.
In an interview with Paste Magazine in April, 2007, lead singer Win Butler said this: “Neon Bible is addressing religion in a way that only someone who actually cares about it can. It’s really harsh at times, but from the perspective of someone who thinks it has value.” Perfect for a video divina on the topic of Atheism for Lent.
Their 2004 album, Funeral, was written in the aftermath of three deaths. It’s an honest album that faces death head-on and chooses life. Funeral is the more hopeful album, especially the songs “Neighborhood #3: Power Out” and “Wake Up,” Neon Bible reaches for fear and searches the darkness in order to see the light. I gave it to the youth director at my internship site and she politely and quickly returned it the next day saying that it was “just too dark for her.”
And dark, it is. The song “Intervention” is dark enough to scare anyone away. “Who’s gonna throw the very first stone? Oh! Who’s gonna reset the bone? Working with your head in a sling, gonna hear the soldier sing. Working for the church while your family dies…you take what they give you and hold it inside. Every spark of friendship and love will die without a home…Hear the soldier’s groan, we’re goin’ it alone.” brings the war home and challenges anyone who thinks brandishing “Support Our Troops” is enough.
Though it’s dark and marked with fear, it’s a different kind of fear, fear that leads to hope. Win continues, “There are two kinds of fear: The Bible talks a lot about fear of God—fear in the face of something awesome. That kind of fear is the type of fear that makes someone want to change. But a fear of other people makes you want to stay the same, to protect what you have. It’s a stagnant fear; and it’s paralyzing.” It is the former, rather than the latter that they seek and, I would suggest, find.
Lyrics: “Neon Bible” from Neon Bible (very cool video below)
A vial of hope and a vial of pain,
In the light they both looked the same.
Poured them out on into the world,
On every boy and every girl.
It's in the Neon Bible, the Neon Bible
Not much chance for survival,
If the Neon Bible is right.
Take the poison of your age,
Don’t lick your fingers when you turn the page,
What I know is what you know is right,
In the city it's the only light.
It's the Neon Bible, the Neon Bible
Not much chance for survival,
If the Neon Bible is right.
Oh God! well look at you now!
Oh! you lost it, but you don’t know how!
In the light of a golden calf,
Oh God! I had to laugh!
Take the poison of your age,
Don’t lick your fingers when you turn the page,
It was wrong but you said it was right,
In the future I will read at night
In the Neon Bible, the Neon Bible
Not much chance for survival,
If the Neon Bible is true
Take the poison of your age,
Don’t lick your fingers when you turn the page,
It was wrong but you said it was right,
In the future I will read at night.
In the Neon Bible, the Neon Bible
Not much chance for survival,
If the Neon Bible is true.
XMcMbK http://djg8Dnw3NxU82k0Skg.com
Posted by: joseph | September 19, 2009 at 06:23 PM
happy not money, and how their leverage If you can't stand the heat , get out of the kitcen
Posted by: cliphunterq | January 20, 2010 at 11:02 PM