Bob Dylan is an icon in music. The Apostle Paul is an icon of the Christian faith. Their iconoclasm is not where their similarities end. This post is the result of two random thoughts creating one big thought.
I was listening to my Bible app in Philemon and this short verse popped out to me
” And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers.”
One thing that Paul had was hope. He saw himself getting out of jail by supernatural means. He saw beyond his jail cell, beyond his pain, and saw a bed reserved for hm.
The Apostle Paul was an eternal thinker and he exhorted the communities of faith he started to think in the same eternal perspective .
He told the Colossians
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:2
He told the Corinthians
“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”
He told the the Philippians
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things”
Now, this is where thought number two and Bob Dylan comes in. It was two days later that I stopped by the thrift store and picked up a copy of Modern Times by Bob Dylan. Bob’s raspy voice and blues guitar sang with passion in equal parts. One of the songs on the album that really caught my ear was Beyond The Horizon. At first I thought it was a love story between lovers far away yearning to be close. As I listened closer I considered it was a lover yearning to be with their deceased partner (and it could have been been). I looked up the lyrics and saw three verses that led me to believe that this song is about death and what is beyond the horizon.
Beyond the horizon, behind the sun
At the end of the rainbow life has only begun
Like the Apostle Paul, I think Bob is an eternal thinker. He sees, believes, and affirms that their is life beyond the horizon. Something more beyond this life. Life begins at the end of the rainbow.
Beyond the horizon, in the Springtime or fall
Love waits forever, for one and for all
Bob, like Paul, believes love fills eternity and is available to everyone.
Beyond the horizon over the treacherous sea
I still can’t believe that you have set aside your love for me
Bob, like the Apostle Paul, is blown away by God’s grace (I Timothy 1:12-14)
I’m like Bob Dylan in that I share a birthday with him and I have hope beyond the horizon. I try to keep my thoughts focused on the eternal and not on my circumstance. My prayer is that the Lord will save a bed for me next to Bobby and Paul, as one day, by natural or supernatural means, I will leave this prison and dance beyond the horizon.
Your Turn
Where have your thoughts been lately? On the earth below or on life beyond the horizon?