This talk was first delivered at a University Christian Union acoustic night.
Perfect Symmetry or a clean slate?
Keane on accountability
Keane’s new album ‘Perfect Symmetry’ is a mix of tracks on various themes, war and love being just 2. It is, musically a little different from their first 2 albums, but with very obvious Keane-esque elements to them.
But as with both of their previous albums they are deeply thoughtful songs, not always hopefully and uplifting and, to be honest, not always understandable. But they raise some interesting questions. 2 tracks, which you will hear in the background, ‘Pretend that you’re alone now’ and ‘Perfect Symmetry’ raise questions of purpose, of meaning and ultimate realities – as well as touching on issues of religion and truth.
‘Pretend that you’re alone now’
‘We are just the monkeys, who fell out of the trees. We are blisters on the earth.
We are not the flowers, we're the strangling weeds in the meadow’
‘And love is just our way of looking out for ourselves when we don´t want to live alone.
So step into the vacuum, tear off your clothes and be born again’
Who are we as human beings? If we are just random accidents of chance, then we are just tha monkeys who fell out of the trees. And if so – our impact on the earth is more that of strangling weeds that masters. But Keane’s point is not at this point anti-creation. It is one of – if we are accidents, not created then does it matter what we do. IF we live alone then we can do what we like – or can we?
Later they sing
I wonder what I'd do, if I could wake up every morning with a clean slate.
I'd burn through the cities, I'd tear through the towns, cos there´s no deals to make.
The problem is, we live in a world which is a mess – and we are a mess. We hurt and harm our world, other people, ourselves, and the Bible makes clear, we damage our relationship with our maker. Keane are right to ask the question – what must it be like to wake up every morning with a clean slate. And the reason they are right is because we don’t. We all have guilty consciences. We all have things written on our slates that we would much rather no-one else knew about.
Jesus, in Marks gospel puts it like this
‘What comes from your heart is what makes you unclean. Out of your heart come evil thoughts, vulgar deeds, stealing, murder, unfaithfulness in marriage, greed, meanness, deceit, indecency, envy, insult pride and foolishness. All these come from your heart, and they are what make you unfit to worship God.’ Mark 7v20-23
If we were alone now, it wouldn’t matter – but it doesn’t matter because we are not alone. We are not just random accidents, and our concern for morality, ethics and our inherent guilt is evidence of this.
So where is the hope? How would you respond is I said that I wake up every morning with a clean slate – not because I have done nothing wrong but because it has been wiped clean?
‘Perfect Symmetry’
The second track you can hear is the title track of the Album – ‘Perfect Symmetry’. This track raises the point that this life does matter – and what we do with this life matters. They sing -
‘This life is lived in perfect symmetry. What I do, that will be done to me.’
If you were to be paid back for what you have done in this life – what would be done to you? A scary question. But the Bible is clear – God is just and all sin will be paid back in full. We would want it that way too – wouldn’t we. Imagine a world without justice. Until it comes to us.
Peter, the eyewitness whose words were written down to form this record once said this –
‘Christ also suffered when he died for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners that he might bring us safely home to God.’ 1 Peter 3v18
The reason I can wake up each morning with a clean slate is that justice is done. All my sin must be paid for. But Jesus died for it, so that I don’t have too. Jesus died to make your and my slate clean so that we can know and be safe with God. This is good news. Such good news in fact that Keane need to hear about it – but I’m not sure if they have.
They speak of ‘spineless dreamers hiding in churches’.
Are Christians just spineless people running away from the consequences of their behaviour? Or are they people willing to face up to who they really are – and find rescue and freedom in a man on a cross who died and rose again?
You decide – and that is what each of us must do – decide. How about now?