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Mute Math's Not So Typical Song

Mute Math's Not So Typical Song

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I'm pretty sure there are few things that I can do well backwards. When I back up my car, children and animals scurry out of good sense. If I tried to walk backwards, it would be only a matter of a few steps before I felt the irresistible force of gravity yanking me down so that Mr. Head could meet Mr. Floor.

This is why I am beyond-words-impressed with the latest work by U2+The Police+Emo=band called Mute Math. To make a very untypical video entitled Typical, they rehearsed and performed the entire song backwards. It's almost surreal and very addictive to see the boys jump, play, and spray silly string in reverse.

But wait - there's more!

The lyrics to the song are excellent as well. They raise issues and pose questions that seem to swim in the undercurrents of most people's souls. See if you agree-

Come on, can I dream for one day?
There's nothing that can't be done
But how long should it take somebody
Before they can be someone

Cuz I know there's got to be another level
Somewhere closer to the other side
And I'm feelin' like it's now or never
Can I break the spell of the typical?

I'm the typical
I'm the typical
Can I break the spell of the typical?

Because it's draggin' me down
Oh, I'd like to know about when
When does it all turn around?

At some point or another, we feel just that: typical. The 168 hours of the week turn into a run-of-the-mill-milli-vanilli-treadmill scene where daily events turn into nothing more than the daily grind.

A Bible writer named Solomon saw this coming oh about 3000 years ago. Here's his version of Typical:

"Everything is meaningless," says the Teacher, "completely meaningless!" Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content. (Ecclesiastes 1:3, 8)

Here it is backwards:

(8, 3:1 setsaiselccE). tnetnoc ton era ew, raeh ew hcum woh rettam oN .deifsitas reven era ew ,ees ew hcum woh rettam oN .noitpircsed dnoyeb emosiraew si gnihtyrevE . "!sselgninaem yletelpmoc" ,rehcaeT eht syas ",sselgninaem si gnihtyrevE"

Forwards or backwards, the truth about life is that it can often be exercises in meaninglessness and adventures in futility. So can we 'break the spell of the typical'?

I don't think we can - not by ourselves anyway. This is the point Solomon was making: we're trapped under the sun and in a state of same old - same old until we do something about it.

And that something involves Someone. There is a God of the universe who gives us the privilege of actually connecting with Him and His purposes on earth. It doesn't involve anything real special to do that either, just a desire to break the spell and turn it around.

This is the point Jesus was making to his disciples when they asked Him how to get out of the typical. They saw something incredibly different about Him - especially that His life was anything but typical. They noticed that He spoke with His Father all the time, especially before He went out and did untypical things. So they made a simple request:

"Lord, teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1).

So Jesus did:

Pray like this:

Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
And don't let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. (Matthew 6:9-13)

When you pray, you connect with your heavenly Daddy - which should remind you that you ARE 'someone', and your Father is in complete charge of things. When you pray, it reminds you that God has a purpose and plan for you that is anything but typical. When you pray, it reminds you that you have needs like food and forgiveness - and especially you need protection from the evil one who doesn't want you to accomplish God's will on earth.

Most of all, when you pray, God opens your spiritual eyes and breaks the spell that kept you seeing daily events as random and repetitive repetitions. He died so you could live, and He lives so you can die to yourself and accomplish the unbelievable untypical mission he has for you.

So come on, can you dream for that day? Remember, when you pray, there's nothing that can't be done!

Head: What you need to know about this truth

Prayer breaks the spell of the typical and connects with God's mission on earth.

Heart: What you need to feel about this truth

"If God will do whatever He wishes, regardless of whether we pray or not, then we do not need to pray at all, and the Lord's instructions on praying for the Kingdom and the Will are superfluous (unnecessary). But the truth is that God waits for a Remnant to rise up and to pray in agreement with His Purpose before He does anything - He will do nothing apart from the Church. Apart from HIM, we CAN do nothing; apart from US, He WILL do nothing." Chip Brogden

Hands: What you need to do about this truth

Make prayer the first thing you do when you wake up and the last thought you have when you go to bed. Bow before your King and talk to Him like a friend. Ask Him to use you, and I guarantee your life will look anything but typical.