ADVISORY: Today's Musical Notes features a song that has language that is unsuitable for those under 18. The language is one instance and is not the vernacular that is typical for Tuesday's Musical Notes. We apologize if this offends, yet we stand by the fact that this song adequately reflects the period by which we will be exploring. 
Many times living our life is symbolically represented by going down a road or pathway. "Journey" seems to be a term that is used ad naseum as of late. While we like to think that our travelogue will be replete with good weather and well-maintained, government-funded thoroughfares, the reality is that the avenues in which our lives are traveling are much like the highways that our cars are traversing. Potholes exist, curves are plentiful, and if you're not careful to check the weather (especially if you live in Arkansas, Oklahoma, or Texas), you may just run into the occasional icy path, flooded bridge, or boulevard that has also been chosen by a tornado.
Travelling has also been a frequent topic here in the place we call Notesland. One only needs to search for the word "road" and you come up with a variety of Tuesday's Musical Notes to fill your Route 66 journey. Fair enough, you need to keep your hands on the wheel. Here's the search: "Road" songs at Tuesday's Musical Notes
What we find as we're runnin' down the highway, is that there truly are many similarities between life and our time spent traveling on the world bypasses. Sometimes we can find ourselves experiencing the euphoria of a picturesque landscape as we gaze from the mountaintops, and other times, we find sadness cloaked in the glovebox as we wander down a...
Released as the 2nd track from Green Day's rock opera American Idiot, "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" reflects the subdued flipside to the first single's ("Holiday") exuberance.
The 2004 single seemed to define a decade as its popularity increased. It remains Green Day's highest-charting single as it peaked at # 2 on Billboard's Hot 100. It was #1 on Rolling Stone's Readers Choice: Single Of The Decade list. "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" is the 9th best-selling single from 2000-2009 and to date, is the only single to win the Record of the Year Grammy and the MTV Video of the Year award in the same year.
"Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" reflects the solitude and apprehension felt at the apex of aspirations that have gone unfulfilled or have been sidetracked by the circumstances of life. Despair and angst are the prevailing occupants of the "shotgun seat" as the singer finds it difficult to regroup after disappointment and failure. The "coming down" from the mountaintop experience is filled with detours and unfinished bridges as our protagonist's perception is one that his shadow is the only "ride or die" that he has left and there is no reason to continue the trip. What was once exuberance has now faded into exasperation.
If you're human there have been moments at the very least where you have succumbed to those feelings of being directionless and lost. This isn't uncommon among men but at times one feels like they are all by themselves as they search for the reparation of their dreams. History is filled with those who have been part of a national experience of despair...
The great stories of the Bible reflect every aspect of the human condition. In its pages, every emotion you will feel is expressed plainly and sometimes provocatively. There are many instances similar to today's song where individuals and nations feel a loneliness that they seemingly cannot overcome.
Today, the prophet Ezekiel continues telling Israel of the coming demise that is about to be inflicted upon them because of their idolatry. In the passages today, Ezekiel warns that the hypocritical behavior of its rulers has been one of the leading factors to the prophecy of God's aforementioned departure from dwelling amidst His people in the temple. God shows His love and mercy by encouraging the people through Ezekiel that an end to their loneliness and despair would be forthcoming, yet many trials lie ahead as God's discipline was to be metered out on the nation. Their decisions to outright rebel against God by violating the laws exposited in Leviticus came with the consequences of which Ezekiel was now prophesying.
God's discipline is not reserved for just the hypocritical rulers. He then begins to illuminate the falsehoods of other prophets of the region who have been placating the people by telling them "all is well". Ezekiel follows God's roadsigns with the next segment of national "leaders" as he demands justice from the elders of Israel who should have been the examples and keepers of the law for the nation. Finally, the complete annihilation of Jerusalem, the holiest of cities to the Judahites, would be the strike against the nation that would send despondency and despair throughout its population. It seemed that to get through the destruction of Jerusalem was the ultimate expression of going down the "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams"...
So what? How does this apply to you and me? We don't live in the Middle East. Jerusalem is a city that is thriving, even though there remains constant tension.
There are some eerie parallels between the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah and our world today. Many feel we are in the last days of the existence of the earth as we know it. Go ahead. Take roll call on the Ten Commandments. How are we doing on that? Not so good. It seems we have a variety of idols that take us away from worshiping the One True God.
Ok, let's make it easier. Jesus said that there were only 2 commandments. "Love God, Love Everybody else" The Gospel of Jesus according to Matthew, the tax collector, chapter 22, verses 34-40 NASB/AMP/KJV, The Gospel of Jesus according to Mark, a disciple of the apostle Peter, chapter 12, verses 28-34 NASB/AMP/KJV Ummm, I don't think invading a sovereign country is very loving, Mr. Putin. Prayers for our friends in Ukraine!!! Hey America, have YOU looked in a mirror lately? That whole Thou Shall Not Kill thing still applies regardless of what our laws are regarding abortion.
Drilling this down further, I am convicted that I don't love God enough. If I did I would certainly display actions that express that love to those He sends onto my "Boulevard" more than I do. How about you?
We weren't created to walk alone. We were created to be with God, forever. We disrupt that relationship every day of our lives, yet in His mercy and grace, He forgives if we repent of the things that cause that disruption and ask Him to forgive.
We weren't created to walk an empty street. We were created to be surrounded by folks that we magnetically love. We were created for "good works" that are the tangible expressions of that love. We were created to use that love to show others, Jesus.
Believing friend, take this challenge to love others more today than you did yesterday. Take the challenge to allow fewer things to disrupt your relationship with God today than you did yesterday. Beg Holy Spirit to make you more mature in your walk with Him and make you more like the person Jesus was when He was here on earth.
Friend, if you don't have your relationship with God restored yet, please know that I am praying that you will right now. You only have to believe in Jesus and cry out to God for forgiveness. From that point on, you'll never find yourself walking alone on the proverbial "Boulevard of Broken Dreams".
'Til Tuesday,
Loving HIM by Loving You,
randy
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