Track 11: Yahweh
It is said that Bono came up with the “Yahweh" almost immediately. "I had this idea that no one can own Jerusalem, but everybody wants to put flags on it." he explained, "The title's an ancient name that's not meant to be spoken. I got around it by singing. I hope I don't offend anyone.”
This song to me, has always been one of the most important U2 songs to me, because it speaks to me of sanctification or consistently asking for Jesus’s help when we are weak. We are not to run from our problems, but to run with full confidence to the Lord and not hide naked like Adam and Eve did. Yet, today, we continue to run from ourselves and each other, destroying the beauty that God has for us in our lives and with those we love the most.
I feel that I have always done my best to be real about my life, my struggles, my lack of accountability, but how we walk with the Lord to just simply own it and turn ourselves in, moment by moment for correction, so we are able to live a Godly life. This was never about perfection, but walking out of Pride and into humility and being those emotionally safe and loving people. This doesn’t go smoothly all of the time, and each time things happen, we have two choices.
We move toward healing and love and sanctification within ourselves, and have an opportunity to be the men and women of God that we are to be. Also, we follow Christ’s greatest commandment to love others as He has loved us. When we run or hide from the UnGodly parts of ourselves, it does nothing but cause strife, destruction, and allows the devil a stronghold on ourselves and our relationships. The only way out, as through repentance and admission. There is no other way.
To me this song, is a song ripe for character development, looking at the soul wounds, asking the question, “why the dark before the dawn?”
I can think of a few examples lately, in one of the most important relationships in my life, where you have a trauma and the enemy coming at you from both sides and there are two choices. It’s not fun to look at yourself when you have become an emotionally unsafe person or the person has toward you, but at that time, you have two choices to respond biblically. I sometimes marvel at how deep the wounds we carry are at times, and how our soul or psychological self needs refinement or how the enemy likes to destroy things if we are not grounded in the word and learn the necessary skills to combat these things.
I can think in a meeting this week for one of my private endeavors, that I was asking a clarification on a problem I was facing to move forward, and I had a demeaning response. In that moment, I thought back to the person I loved the most and the way I had started to respond. I know what I had been asking for was right and had been causing damage to our relationship, but seeing that response, immediately brought correction from the “Lord stating, do you see it now?” Specifically, the lyrics to the song came to my mind immediately: “Take this mouth, so quick to criticize, take this mouth, give it a kiss.” It’s this type of openness we must have in order to get somewhere to be who we are meant to be for the Kingdom of God, and for each other. Let go of the pride. Here is a helpful, quick tool for biblical wisdom on being an emotionally safe communicator and listener. Something I need to continue to build on and we all do. No, it's not easy to look at ourselves when we act out or unkind, but clearly, what is the other choice.
When we are working with people who are committed to the left column, are showing empathy, honesty and are willing to show consistent effort and small steps for growth, then we want to partner with those people. It's not about perfection, but having a teachable spirit, practicing, and having a willingness to do so. It's hard to do so when people have beat you down or when that trauma or demonic cycles still operate. That is why all people, especially in relationships, have to work together on themselves and as a team to stop these cycles instead of pretending and doing as column two suggests. What happens if you don't: Resentment, break down of the relationship and the devil having his foot in the things you love the most. I would rather admit to my faults and weaknesses, get help, and not run then to burn something down. Progress, with action and words, not perfection and having behaviors and unloving behavior fade slowly as we continue to receive refinement, not the other way around by being in a state of denial and being avoidant and dismissive.
My hope is that you will really enjoy listening to this song and it can help you on your journey with Christ.
Take these shoes
Click clacking down some dead end street
Take these shoes
And make them fit
Take this shirt
Polyester white trash made in nowhere
Take this shirt
And make it clean, clean
Take this soul
Stranded in some skin and bones
Take this soul
And make it sing
Yahweh, Yahweh
Always pain before a child is born
Yahweh, Yahweh
Still I'm waiting for the dawn
Take these hands
Teach them what to carry
Take these hands
Don't make a fist
Take this mouth
So quick to criticise
Take this mouth
Give it a kiss
Yahweh, Yahweh
Always pain before a child is born
Yahewh, Yahweh
Still I'm waiting for the dawn
Still waiting for the dawn, the sun is coming up
The sun is coming up on the ocean
This love is like a drop in the ocean
This love is like a drop in the ocean
Yahweh, Yahweh
Always pain before a child is born
Yahweh, tell me now
Why the dark before the dawn?
Take this city
A city should be shining on a hill
Take this city
If it be your will
What no man can own, no man can take
Take this heart
Take this heart
Take this heart
And make it break
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