How to Share Your Faith Using My Chemical Romance's The Ghost Of You
The alternative pop/rock band, My Chemical Romance, was the recent winner of MTV's Woodie of the Year (artists of the year) Award. This week their song, The Ghost Of You , has continued moving up Billboard's Top 20 Modern Rock Tracts chart. It's the third song from their album Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge to make it onto the charts. My Chemical Romance continues to generate the right chemistry for producing plenty of buzz on the music scene!
The music video of The Ghost Of You captures the 'off to war' imagery and the song is a haunting reminder of wounds and scars and 'never coming home.' Can you use The Ghost Of You to talk your friends about God, life, and spiritual things? Definitely!
Check out these lyrics;
At the end of the world
Or the last thing I see
You are
Never coming home
Never coming home
Could I? Should I?
And all the things that you never ever told me
And all the smiles that are ever gonna haunt me
Never coming home
Never coming home
Could I? Should I?
And all the wounds that are ever gonna scar me
For all the ghosts that are never gonna catch me
The phrases 'the end of the world' and 'never coming home' are both sobering thoughts, ones that can disturb the human heart and soul. Regardless of whether the word 'home' carries a lot of emotional baggage for you or not, every human heart has a built in desire to return to a place that offers security and refuge. The ultimate place of refuge in the spiritual realm is heaven and that's why you've probably heard people talk about our 'heavenly home'. Rev. 21:3-7 describes heaven this way,
"Look, the home of God is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever." And the one sitting on the throne said, "Look, I am making all things new!" And then he said to me, "Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true." And he also said, "It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega - the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give the springs of the water of life without charge! All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. (NLT)
As believers in Christ, that description of heaven sounds like a place of refuge we will love going home to, either at the end of the world or when we die. But for your friends who don't know Jesus, and don't have the assurance of a relationship with God, the whole heaven thing can be distressing and anxiety provoking.
Some of the lyrics in The Ghost Of You can generate a haunting emptiness and finality, particularly for those who are living their lives apart from God. Next time you hear My Chemical Romance's song, make the effort to talk to your friends about the end of the world and coming home. Jesus' Good News is never something you should keep to yourself!
