I was thinking about what it is I’m trying to do with these recent Jesus posts, and I was reminded of one of my favorite songs. The posts try to do something similar to what Jason Isbell does in “Relatively Easy” (Apple Music).
Even though it’s dark at first, listen:
I lost a good friend Christmas time when folks go off the deep end His woman took the kids and he took Klonopin Enough to kill a man of twice his size Not for me to understand Remember him when he was still a proud man A vandal’s smile, a baseball in his right hand Nothing but the blue sky in his eye
His tragic recollection turns into a beautiful portrait of a friend’s face. The dark image of the first several lines fades into something like a nostalgic 1987 Tops baseball card. You see his friend’s face, that “vandal’s smile.” His face shines, and you feel like you know him.
I’m toying with that image of the baseball card. The friend steps out of the portrait like the people in Harry Potter pictures. Now, Jesus steps in. He looks through the card and flashes a similar vandal’s smile. His face shines, and there’s nothing but blue sky in his eye. You feel like you know him. The smile is kind, but it’s twisted and smirky and fittingly called a “vandal’s.” He’s not predictable.
He’s about to tear it all down.
“For those overwhelmed with dispair.”
Something like that. That’s what the back of the card would say.
Brian W. Davidson 