The Plaintive Cry

2Samuel 22:7

In my distress I called upon the LORD;
to my God I called.
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry came to his ears.

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It's gettin' dark, too dark to see
I feel I'm knockin' on heaven's door

Knockin' on Heaven's Door" by Bob Dylan from the soundtrack to "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid."

The plaintive cries of a man who dies violently. He's got a badge and where he's going he won't need it. He's got guns and where he's going he won't need it. He knows he's about to die and there's no solace for him. Why? Who knows. "The bad guy got him and town's not safe" is a good bet, but it's only a guess. But there is mourning in the words, and mourning in almost everyone who sings this song. It's the kind of mourning that hints that there is more death coming, and the man is saddened.

Of course the Guns 'N' Roses version really doesn't show this, but Axl Rose has never been one for remorse or regret.

In this song, this song of David from 2Samuel, David rejoices that the Lord does hear and did deliver him from his enemies and from Saul. David begins by praising the Lord, his fortress, his deliverer, his rock, his shield, his stronghold, his refuge, the horn of his salvation, his savior and his God. His Lord saves him from violence. His Lord saves him from his enemies. His Lord is worthy to be praised.

His Lord saves him from his enemies. His Lord saves him from death. He cries to the Lord and the Lord hears his cries.

The Lord hears cries. The Lord hears the plaintive cries of the people. The Lord listens and pays attention. The only negative thing that can be said is that the Lord doesn't respond the way we want or in what we might call a timely manner.

Yet here's the truth. We knock on heaven's door. We don't particularly want to die. We especially don't want to die when there's still what we would consider "work to be done" on the table.

God hears our cries. Sometimes the story will end like it did for David, the greatest grandfather of our Lord. Sometimes it's like this nameless man who dies with his boots on. Both knock on heaven's door and neither is a failure. David claims the Lord as his God and savior, and so must we. As for the rest, knocking on heaven's door by the grace of God takes care of that.

Let Me Be Your Everlasting Light

2Samuel 22:29

Indeed, you are my lamp, O Lord,
the Lord lightens my darkness.

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Oh baby, can't you see
It's shining just for you
Loneliness is over
Dark days are through
They're through

"Everlasting Light" performed by The Black Keys on "Brothers" by Patrick Carney and Daniel Auerbach

Light and darkness, two great themes. It seems that these are choices we are given to make, whether to pick the dark or the light, that's not true. We're born into from the dark into the light, but we don't always see the light--so we don't always look toward the light. The dark has real power, there's no denying that, but compared to the Light, in the end, dark has met its match. That's the issue, the light surrounds us, the light is everlasting, the darkness doesn't stand a chance, and still people live in the darkness of life without faith and grace.

"Can't you see," The Black Keys sing, "It's shining just for you." A life of love and peace and grace awaits in the light of God and God in Christ. By the power of the Holy Spirit this love is present for us, within us now and forevermore. How can we be lonely in such a fellowship? The truth is we can't. The truth is we still do because darkness spills into our lives. It spills like a drip and it spills in torrents. It is in these moments that we most need to hear "Can't you see," The Black Keys sing, "It's shining just for you."

The light overwhelms the dark. It has never been any other way. Never. David knows great sorrow and great joy. He knows the love of a brother and the loss of that brother. He knows the loss of a son and the birth of the son who is Solomon. In all he sings laments and he sings thanks. He sings "Indeed, you are my lamp, O Lord, the Lord lightens my darkness."

The Lord is David's light in the darkness. David laments, but the darkness never has a chance. What a way to live.