During one of my usual browsing sessions through YouTube I came accross this video from Owl City.  I’ve only recently become aware of this artist…which I guess just shows how out of touch I am.  Its electronic.  Its catchy and fun.  But I like it.

I was telling a friend the other day that electronica music is great for winter-time.  I’m not sure why, it just is.  I find myself grabbing for it on summer days as well.

What I like about this video is the way the face of each individual is changed by what they see.  Each person begins the scene in a gloom and sadness.  Then, one by one, their face turns toward a light.  Something caught their eye, they turn toward it, and they begin to change.  The gloom turns into faces full of hope, joy and even a sort of worship (clearly seen in the case of Shaq).

If you read the lyrics you gather that this is basically a love song.  However, the way the video is produced and the focus of the last stanza, one could easily wonder if something else is the focus of the song.  What is the artist aiming at here?:

When violet eyes get brighter,
And heavy wings grow lighter,
I’ll taste the sky and feel alive again.
And I’ll forget the world that I knew,
But I swear I won’t forget you,
Oh if my voice could reach back through the past,
I’d whisper in your ear,
Oh darling I wish you were here.

The first time I watched the video, I was impacted by the simplicity of what was taking place.  These people were changed by this strange light in the sky.  You see their faces reflecting something…as the observer you’re drawn in.  What do they see?  What is so compelling?  Why are they being changed?

I immediately thought of one of my favorite passages of Scripture- 2 Corinthians 4:1-6:

Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Indeed, we do not lose heart…because we have see the Light of the Jesus Christ.  It has shone upon our face…and it has changed us forever.  We were walking in gloom…and then something caught our eye, something was shining upon us.  By grace it was a light shining out of darkness.  We looked and saw Christ as Lord.

I have no idea if this is what the artist has intended here.  But I do find it compelling…and powerful…to think that maybe he has seen such a great Light, and has been changed himself.