Listen to Hitting the Ground
In life we do all sorts of things to try and remember. Tattoos, holidays, birthdays, "to do" lists, anniversaries, pictures on the wall, routines, journals, blogs, art, music, history classes. Really, we would be pretty useless humans if we didn't remember and appreciate our pasts. Both on an individual and societal level, we remember things for a reason.
In the beginning of scripture there's a group of people. They had many ways of remembering the things God had done for them. One of which was making stone altars. These altars were monuments in physical places where something great had been done for them, or shown to them. These stones were tangible, would be there for a long time, and the writing carved into them would be hard to change. Then when they were travelling past this place, they could teach their children on what God had done for them in this place, how they had experienced the divine. Pretty cool in my opinion.
The stones in this song are a reference to those monuments in my own life. The times I have experienced the divine. The times I have received direction and purpose. The times I have experienced the greatest instances of life and love.
The song is a sad one, in that I never hear these stones hitting the ground. Its a lament for the moments in life I act sinful or cruel despite the many instances in life I have been shown and experienced goodness. Despite knowing how to love I don't always choose it. It seems the more I grow and exerience, the more stones I throw deep into my soul, I never really learn.
It's important in life to regret things you've done, but it's equally as important to not stay there. Guilt can cripple. The message of forgiveness is life to me. That I don't have to be defined by what I've done. The second verse is a pretty blatant turning to God for refuge. Despite my failings, he is still the bed beaneath my body where I find rest. His words are life. His invitation to imagine a better world is still open. My actions cannot stop God for drawing me in. He wrote his forgivenes on the flesh of his son.
Though these mountains should crumble and throw themselves to the heart of the deep blue sea
I know where my feet stand, and I won't lose my ground
The wind always seems to be blowing in the wrong direction
Just a glimpse of you is all I need
We tell people to say what we should've said
We tell people to do what we wished we'd done
We throw piles of rocks into the deepest part of our souls
But I still can't hear those rocks hitting the ground
You are the bed beaneath my body where I find rest
You hold the words of life where else can I turn
We get our hands dirty painting the world as it should be
You, you draw me in
We tell people to say what we should've said
We tell people to do what we wished we'd done
We throw piles of rocks into the deepest part of our souls
But I still can't hear those rocks hitting the ground
Oh but I still, can't hear those rocks hitting the ground
Hitting the ground
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