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Bold As Love: Who's Got Your Back?4/9/2020 Written by: Cameron Jordan Bold as Love is certainly an iconic song. It served initially as the title track for Jimi Hendrix second studio album; clearly setting it apart as one that he cared deeply about. It was later written that this was an olympian battle of passion and expression. Jimi's use of colors as a means of symbolism would make any writer jealous of the world he created in this song. John Mayer would go on to pay honor to the late legend in 2006 on his 3rd studio album Continuum. If you want to hear more about that album listen back to our latest podcast where we break it down. In 2008, Mayer released a live recording of his concert and in it included the long time legendary track Bold as Love. His twist on it? A rant that will go down in the record books as an iconic Mayer moment. I'm not going to sit here and and claim that anything he had to say here was religiously backed. I've seen almost every Mayer interview and I've listened to every single song he's ever released. I've never heard him say anything about believing in God. What I will say is that it's clear from some of his content that he has a longing for what God provides. You don't have to believe in God to long for his love and acceptance. I'd actually argue, alongside the writer of Ecclesiastes, that those are the individuals that have the deepest longing. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that eternity has been written on our hearts. We long for eternity before we even know that it exists. We have a desire for what God provides. So what does John say that makes me think what he was longing for in 2008 was God? Well, let's dive in. "I've tried it all, I bought a bunch of stuff and went: eh, I don’t like that”I'm sure we all have things that we value. I mean we HAVE things that we value. We can all claim to be simplistic and non-materialistic but I would bet that we all have a weakness out there. I know mine. I like clothes. Being able to have style is something I value. I have more shoes that anyone needs, I have a closet full of sweatshirts that I wear, and most people haven't ever seen me without a hat. Maybe yours is food, coffee, beer, or countless other vices that exist. John is speaking to all of us here. We live in a materialistic culture. Sure he has a little more money to spend than I do but does that mean he values "stuff" more than I do? No. It just means he's no longer naive enough to believe money doesn't buy happiness. If I were to put you on a spectrum, and on your right is happiness and your left is sadness and I asked you to tell me what makes you happy, what would you say? Maybe a new car, new shoes, the Chiefs winning the super bowl? Right now you're probably happy. But what happens when that car gets totaled? Or someone scuffs your new Jordan's? Or sports get canceled due to a global pandemic? Where's your happiness? Maybe, like John it went away. So let's switch it up. If you have joy on your right and sadness on your left, tell me what makes you sad? I'm sure right now we can point to a lot of things. Family getting sick, getting laid off, losing out on weddings or graduation. However, if you have joy you won't move one step on that spectrum. Why? Because joy is unconditional. Happiness is simply what you have; your shoes, hat, glasses. I'm glad you have those, but someone could come and take those pretty easily. Joy is your name. No matter what people take from you, your name is your identity. No one can take your name away from you. Joy is the same idea. It's who you are. It's founded in the promise Jesus made 2,000 years ago while he hung on that cross. When he said "It is finished" it was a promise that in the midst of today you can have Joy. I'm not telling you to not buy things you enjoy. Although I could use someone telling me that from time to time. I'm telling you to not let that rule you like it's ruled John. "Maybe that’s what you have to do to be a genius, is you have to be mad."I'm about to graduate college in a month, and THEN pursue another degree by getting my masters. Why? Because culture values education. Does a degree necessarily speak to the fact that I know more about a topic or career better than someone else? No. One of my favorite pastors, Michael Todd, completed one semester of community college and he pastors one of the fastest growing church's in the country. What college indicates is that you put in work and time to get something valuable. I think this drive is what John is speaking to here. He's talking about passion. What's your passion? If you listened to the Black Panther pod you heard us talk about how even great passions can become an idol. I care about Human Trafficking as much as I care about anything in this world. Where does this passion come from? It comes from my love for others and the commandment God gave me to love others. What is your passion, and where does that stem from? Is your passion driving how much you love God, or is your love for God driving your passion? If tomorrow it was announced that Human Trafficking ended globally would I be left feeling helpless because I no longer had a mission to serve? Or would I instead be motivated to continue to help others in need? Sometimes we pursue "genius" in a way where we become so zealous. That's what John is talking about. He zealously pursued music and he got there. And yet he still felt empty. Does God drive your passion, or does your passion drive how much you love God? "I've made a lot of stuff happen for myself"John at the age of 30, gets caught up on his own words. He's made a lot of stuff happen for himself. After all, that's a cool thing to be able to say right? He's won multiple grammy's, been number one on the billboard charts, and is considered a national heartthrob. He's done things most of us only dream of, and I'm not just talking about dating Jennifer Anniston. Yet, he's still talking about it not being enough. If I were to ask you to tell me the best restaurant in your city what would you say? For me, it's KC Joes. KC Joes is west of me. So if I start walking east, am I gonna get there? Not quite. Am I going to walk past some really cool places? For sure. Is it where I intended on going? Not at all. Sometimes when we walk in a direction that God isn't leading us we still hit some amazing destinations. They just aren't the ones God had in mind. Does that mean not using your gifts? No, it actually means using them for something bigger than you. My dream is to one day have someone tell me what I've accomplished and genuinely look at them and say that I had nothing to do with it. God used me in ways I never could. If I end my life saying that I made a lot happen for myself then I missed the point. "I've got your BACK love"Maybe the most iconic phrase in this rant comes near the end. This song and this rant stems around finding love. Claiming that the most bold expression of yourself is love. Every other emotion and passion is just hoping to live up to Love, which in it's pure form the most bold thing we can offer. It's vibrantly colorful but inherently pure. John continues by saying that he no longer wants Hollywood hot pink love. I mentioned that John was a heart throb right? Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jennifer Anniston, Jessica Simpson, Cameron Diaz, Rashida Jones, Kim Kardashian, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry. Need I say more? He's tired of it. Now at this time he actually hadn't dated a couple of those girl I mentioned. His Swift and Perry phase came a little later. We'll have a different episode about Paper Doll and Still Feel Like Your Man. But John is tired of the Hollywood Hot Pink love. He doesn't want love that's just for show, or purely conditional. The instant gratification that comes from his celebrity relationships has left him empty. Sound familiar? Maybe it reminds you of the woman at the well in John 6. Jesus approaches her and asks if she's married. She says no, and he says "yeah I know. You've been with 5 men and the man you're with now is not your husband." Listen, a little bit of a weird move by Jesus. Kinda touchy, kinda personal. But deeply rooted in love and hope based on what he's going to go on to say next. He says that this woman is THIRSTY. And yes, Jesus was using an innuendo here. But he said take a drink of the water of eternal life and thirst no more. John Mayer said that he wants the "I've got your BACK love." He's talking about unconditional love. The type that means when you've messed up the person doesn't run. It means that they've got your back. I believe that is a great trait for a spouse, but it's not something anyone on earth can provide. This type of love is only found in Christ. It's unconditional love provided by the only person who has ever sent their son to die for all of humanity, but that rose again showing that not even death can hold back the intensity of his love. And until someone else pulls that off they will never truly be able to provide unconditional love. And here's a spoiler: No one else will ever pull that off. So what?Maybe you can relate to John on some level. I know that I can on a few of these levels. Am I saying you need to give up buying things, pursuing passions, accomplishing your dreams, or attempting to find true love? Not at all. I'm saying that you should do these things through God. None of what John talked about here is inherently wrong or even negative. It's only turned negative when taken out of the box that God put it in. When we take the gifts he has given us and use them selfishly we will fail. It might not look like failure, but it will certainly feel like it. For Why? Because God put eternity on our heart. For Christians, when we lose sight of eternity we lose a piece of our heart. When God isn't driving us, we try and drive God. And he's a much better driver than me. In John's case, and maybe for some of you, it looks a little different. The problem isn't that you've gone away from God as your drive, but instead that you never had him there in the first place. There's a place in your heart for God and the promise of eternity he provides. Maybe you've also tried filling it with success, money, relationships, or passion. But that's not going to be enough. Take John's word for it. At the pinnacle of his career he looked the Nokia theater in the eye and said he's tried everything and it hasn't worked. It drove him so mad he isolated himself in Montana for years after battling addictions to his own ego in his pursuit of finding that happiness. How far are you going to let it take you before you let God show you his I've Got Your Back type of love?
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