How to Share Your Faith Using Switchfoot's Stars
Switchfoot, the San Diego-based Christian rock band, recently debuted its new album Nothing Is Sound at number 3 on the Billboard bestselling albums chart. The band's cross-over appeal is bubbling up and Stars, the first single released from the Nothing Is Sound album, has hit the radio scene. Stars appeared at number 1 in both the Most Added record at Modern Rock radio and in the Bubbling Under - Hot 100 Singles category. The single currently sits at number 4 on Bender's "Most Popular Songs in America" chart.
Given its rising popularity, it's likely you'll get an opportunity to talk about this song with your friends. When you do, Stars can provide a unique, fresh opening for sharing your faith in God. Wondering how to do that? Let's take a look at some of the song's lyrics.
I've been thinking 'bout everyone,
Everyone you look so lonely
But when I look at the stars,
When I look at the stars,
When I look at the stars I see someone else.
When I look at the stars,
The stars, I feel like myself.. . . I've been thinking 'bout the meaning of resistance,
Of a hope beyond my own
And suddenly the infinite and penitent
Begin to look like home.
Loneliness is a giant hole in the human experience that sucks the joy out of our existence. If you're a teen, you know what it's like to feel lonely, at least occasionally. Switchfoot's frontman and songwriter Jon Foreman observed while on tour with the band, "I'd walk around near the back and just breathe in the loneliness-masses of scared kids. I remember thinking how ironic it is that you have this generation of kids connected through Instant Messaging and text messages, yet people grow more and more lonely every day."
What do you do when you feel lonely? Do you hurry and fill it up with mind-numbing activities, high-tech toys and other 'stuff'? Or do you think about filling it with God? When the songwriter says, "When I look at the stars, I feel like myself" he's observing that "the heavens declare the glory of God!" (Psalms 19:1) The feeling of loneliness shrinks in significance when the overwhelming reality of God blazes forth.
What does it look like to fill our loneliness with God and "feel a hope beyond our own?" It looks like a deep and meaningful relationship with God that is available to us because of Jesus' death on the cross. And it involves spending time with Him talking to Him (prayer) and listening to Him (mediating on His Word and asking Him how it applies to your life). In Romans 8:38-39 Paul confidently declares,
"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can't, and life can't. The angels can't, and the demons can't. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord."
That's an amazing truth - nothing can separate us from God, once we have established that lifeline of connection with Him by trusting in Christ as our only hope of salvation. If we ever feel lonely, all we need to do is run to Him, knowing that His love surrounds us and His triune nature envelops us in relationship with Him!
Here are some conversations starting ideas to use when you get the chance to talk about Stars with your friends:
- What do you do when you feel lonely? Share what you do and talk about your relationship with God.
- Has today's technology helped bring people closer together or pushed them farther apart?
- What gives you "a hope beyond your own?"
- Talk about the line in the song that mentions the infinite and the penitent - what do you think of when you hear the word infinite? What about penitent? If you need help sharing your faith, check out the GOSPEL Journey.
The music video has a unique, fresh, wet look from the underwater filming technique the footage features. Stars also provides a unique, fresh opportunity to share about your faith in God. Look for the opportunity and use Stars to talk about the infinite God of the universe. Share your faith and hope with a lonely world!
