Lord, have mercy

Though this song and I very nearly share a birthday, I admit that I had never heard it until this past year while watching The Sing Off. I had a certain interest in the group "On The Rocks" who hail from our very own University of Oregon and tuned in eagerly week to week to see what they came up with next (I was only moderately distraught when they got kicked off).

So the week they performed "Kyrie", a song originally recorded by Mr. Mister, I came this close to losing interest momentarily because it wasn't a familiar tune. From the first note however, I couldn't look away. Both haunting and inspiring, just the general tone of it kept me absolutely rapt and by show's end I was scouring the internet for a download. Even after listening to the original though I was still partial to OTR (and still am, even after listening to both versions countless times).

But I digress...

After fumbling through the lyrics the same way I did a certain O-Zone song like I was in a Romanian disco, I decided to stop mouthing what I thought were the opening lyrics and look for the real thing. What I found was surprising - the true meaning of "kyrie eleison".

"Lord, have mercy."

The history of the phrase is pretty fascinating. But I was eager to listen to the song again with this new information and lo and behold... It changed for me completely. I was brought to tears. To hear the lyrics in this context -

Kyrie eleison, down the road that I must travel

Kyrie eleison, through the darkness of the night

Kyrie eleison, where I'm going will you follow

Kyrie eleison, on a highway in the light

So now when I listen to this song, I do just that: I really listen to it. I've long had this theory that a song need not be a formal hymn to be a song of praise and worship. In fact, many of the songs that make me feel closest to God are completely "secular" and would probably make heads spin in many of the houses of worship I've attended over the years. But I believe that if God is in fact omnipresent, then He is in everything, and these things that we wouldn't usually associate with God and church are quite possibly the keys to allowing Him into every corner of our lives. 

To be honest, I've had a kind of "meh" week. A lot of little things piling up and making things seem a little more frustrating than they need to be, or really are. But in my long playlist of "sing loud in the car so you feel better" songs, I landed tonight on "Kyrie" once again as I pulled my car into the driveway around 11:30. After making dinner and watching a movie over at Jared's before watching him, in turn, head off to work again, I let the engine continue to purr while the song finished. The lights turned off, 41st Avenue silent as we neared midnight, I closed my eyes, pounded the steering wheel and sang to God, asking Him to have mercy and help me keep on keeping on. 

If I were watching it in a movie I would probably call the scene a little cheesy, but as for real life I'm going to count it as one of those little cathartic moments I needed, put it in my pocket and remember it whenever I have another rough day and need a little reminder that if I need help, all I have to do is ask. 

(p.s. Listen to the video clip all the way through, the crescendo is amazing if you close your eyes and really listen to what they're singing)