Blurry, gothic lettering on a dark t-shirt in front of me stole my attention. I couldn’t avoid the sight as the young man wearing it sat in the church row directly ahead of me. Eventually, I deciphered “Suicide Boys” and beneath that, “Your soul is about to be rec …” on his back. The rest faded too dark to read. Not such a great prelude to worship! Ironically, the congregation sang, “Death was once my great opponent, fear once had a hold on me,” as the service progressed.
Suicide is a grim reality in our fallen world. I question that musicians take such a name, possibly promoting that which is sick and sinful. God alone commands life … and death. The upside of the young man in the swag shirt is that he was in church! Suicide Boys may falsely depict life and death issues, but good Bible teaching rightly informs. And he sat with a wonderful family who will disciple him well.
After the service, I searched online for the t-shirt’s missing word. The full word is ‘recycled’: “ Your soul is about to be recycled.” How odd that Suicide Boys misses the mark again. Not only is suicide not God’s plan, but there is no recycling of the soul, no reincarnation.
Reincarnation is still a belief of some. On a recent trip through central Ontario, I noticed many miles (they’d say kilometers) of new fencing. I asked our host about it and the purpose is to keep the deer and moose off the highway. But the local resident added that the bottom portion of the fence is a different material and gauge. A smaller screening is used to keep turtles and snakes off the road. The Indigenous peoples of the area hold to a belief in reincarnation; this reptile protection honors their ancestors or descendants. Reincarnation cost the Ontario highway department a lot!
As I mentioned, one of the songs in our worship service addressed death. A lilting tune carries a story of transformation from fear of finality to victory and joyful confidence in the end. Why? The lyrics continue:
“Death was once my great opponent
Fear once had a hold on me
But the Son who died to save us
Rose that we would be free indeed.” *
Our freedom flows from the work on the cross. Jesus finally and forever finished that work of salvation for us! “Tetelestai – It is finished,” Jesus declared with his last breath (John 19 v 30).
*“It Is Finished Upon That Cross” Words and Music by Jonny Robinson, Rich Thompson, and Nigel Hendroff. 2021 CityAlight Music
It Was Finished Upon That Cross
That was a great song, Brenda. Thank you for sharing it.
Thank you, Brenda, for your thoughtful words. ❤️
I had not heard that song – love those words. There is nothing else we need to do – Christ did it all on the cross! Thanks for sharing.