A Dave Matthews Band Concert is Like the Kingdom of Heaven

 Hi Everyone!

I hope you are having a beautiful day.  Recently, my girlfriend and I got to go see Dave Matthews Band play at the Gorge Amphitheater (a pretty spectacular venue).  Wow!  It was a crazy fun time and quite a beautiful experience in a variety of ways.

As I reflected on the multifaceted goodness of the experience, it occurred to me a Dave Matthews Band concert is a lot like the Kingdom of Heaven.  Now, in the Gospels Jesus frequently “describes” the Kingdom of Heaven or the Kingdom of God (synonyms for the same thing).  Yet, these pictures aren’t given as straightforward descriptions.  Instead, the Christ usually tells parables/stories to illustrate to people what the Kingdom is like; in other words, Jesus uses lengthy and multidimensional word pictures to imaginatively allow people to grasp some of what it is like to live in/experience the Kingdom of Heaven.  Ironically, the disciples often didn’t understand the parables, so after the crowds left they’d ask Jesus what the tales meant!  With these in mind, I thought it’d be fun to tell a story about the Dave Matthews Band concert, and then say a bit about what I mean. 🙂

 

There once was a crowd that gathered near the Columbia River in Eastern Washington.  On a warm, but not too warm, summer day, car after car after car full of people pulled into the parking fields of the Gorge Amphitheater.  As a man and woman made their way toward the impending concert, they noticed joyful music pouring from any vehicles.  Around these gathering points various people assembled, eating, drinking, dancing, laughing, singing, and talking.

 

“Hi!” cried one of the concertgoers as the two passed by, “would you mind taking a picture of us,” she finished with a smile.  “Sure,” the lady quickly said.  The group of fifteen then assembled for their Dave Matthews pictorial moment, with grins, drinks, and songs in hand.  “Thanks so much,” the requester said after the moment was captured, “would you like a drink?”

 

Inside the venue, the fellow waited for drinks at the magical stand of drink giving. 🙂 In his midst strangers began striking up a conversation about where they were from and their journeys to the concert.  One lady recounted how she had come all the way from New York.  “Yeah we took a five day road trip to California on the way to coming here for the concert!”  “Sweet, that must have been fun,” a guy replied, “my buddy and I came from Chicago.”  “Just for this?” she asked.  “Yup!” he said in response.

 

In another line (which definitely is NOT in and of itself like the Kingdom of Heaven :), the fellow waited while looking at all the excited, polite, and joyful people around him.  “Nice shirt,” came a voice from in front of him.  “Thanks,” he said, while looking down a bit and noticing the inquirer wore the same Dave Matthews Band (DMB) t-shirt.  “Nice!” he added, “what are the odds?” he chuckled (note, there actually are hundreds of different DMB tees).  “Did you get it from concert in Chula Vista?”  “Nah, I got this one at the online store,” he answered.

 

When the man and lady (who may or may not have been Melinda and I 🙂 reconvened, she observed: “These people here are crazy and awesome in the best way.”  Together they observed person after person after person laughing, grinning, singing, and dancing while they walked or stood nearby.  Not to mention quite a few outrageous outfits (think rainbow colors, furry stockings, and fuzzy boots), which they totally rocked!

 

When Dave Matthews Band took the stage the joy only increased.  The dancing and singing was contagious, in fact so many people were singing Dave’s songs in unison that the couple could here their voices alongside the band’s!  Dave Matthews sang about love, sang about sorrow, sang about the injustice in the world, sang about partying, sang about joy, and many more things.  And it was all done with passion.  Dave sang from his deep within his heart, while the band played and crowd responded likewise.  He/they desire and passionately crave love and goodness, while he/they deeply desire an end to injustice and wrongs in the world.  People connect with Dave because he sings with conviction, he sings from the wellspring of his heart.

 

Whether at their spot in the concert, walking to get food/drink, standing in line, or entering/exiting the amphitheater, the guy and gal encountered nary a frowning face.  In fact, close to (if not) everyone was smiling, laughing, and exhibiting courteous, curious, and loving attitudes that were far in excess to other large gatherings of people.  There was no hurrying, pushing, jostling, or belligerent intoxication.  There was basically only joy, conversation, food/drink, dancing, curiosity from strangers, and love.  And THAT’s what the Kingdom of Heaven is like.

 

Possibly this begs the question … what exactly do I mean by that?  Great question! 🙂  First, a brief word on the Kingdom of Heaven.  The Kingdom, in my understanding, is present any place/time/person where the reign of God is manifested.  And the reign of God looks like us living from/out of our deepest passions and desires, living with joy in our hearts and actions, living in relationships that reflect both diversity and oneness, and doing all these with love.  This list isn’t complete, nor is it meant to be, and I think it hits some high and key points of the Kingdom.  In my mind and experience, Dave Matthews Band concerts are events where these are embodied in pretty cool ways.  If you don’t mind, I’ll break it down for you a bit (briefly).

 

Passion/Desire – Recently, I thought to myself: “Self, why do you like DMB so much?  What is so appealing about them?”  And it occurred to me that perhaps the number one reason why I think Dave Matthews Band is the best band ever is because their lyrics, singing, and music have such deep and great passion and desire.  For instance, their song “Don’t Drink the Water” passionately and beautifully (IMHO) expresses the wrongs Europeans and White Americans did to the Native American peoples and natives of other countries during the colonial era.  You can check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psIuidkkLjI  Dave sings with great passion about a variety of topics, which reflect his deep desires: love, women/his wife, family, and injustice being prime examples.  In my mind, God makes each of us with similar good passions and desires, and when we live into these, when we pursue them, when we bring them into the world we are living in and showing others the Kingdom.

 

Joy – The people at the Dave Matthews Band concert were, as a group, some of the most joyful people I’ve met.  And joy, my friends, is a hallmark of the Kingdom.  I think happiness and sorrow are real and relevant … and they are fleeting.  Joy, however, is more durable, deeper, and longer lasting.

 

Diversity and Oneness =  The pictures of the Kingdom of Heaven in Isaiah, Revelation, and elsewhere all paint the same picture when it comes to “who” is in the Kingdom.  Time after time after time the Bible’s authors write about all nations and all peoples coming together to celebrate with God.  What is more, Jesus’ longest recorded prayer is filled with a desire for us (as in anyone and hopefully everyone who follows Christ) to be one people, a oneness that comes from love (John 17).  It’s important to note oneness and unity doesn’t mean similarity, it means we come together and become united IN our diversity.  The Dave Matthews Band (DMB) concert was a pretty cool approximation of this.  It represented different people who came together as one, united by our love for DMB.  While the oneness experienced at the concert only lasted for a few hours, there is a greater, more enduring Kingdom oneness that is available to us from God.  As Richard Rohr writes: “The only solid and enduring foundation for recognizing human dignity and protecting human rights is not the American Bill of Rights or mere pluralistic thinking, but frankly, it is God! Those who know that we all came forth from the same God are most prepared to overcome racism, sexism, nationalism, and homophobia. And if God chooses to love me (and I know how silly and sinful I am), I am the best prepared to grant you the same compliment!”

 

Love – The acceptance, embrace, curiosity, and giving toward each other (especially strangers!) was a tangible and awesome example of love at the DMB concert.  It would have been incredibly hard to go to the concert and not be filled with joy, harmony, and good-will toward others, in other words love was in the air and it was contagious!  As the Kingdom is where God’s reign shows up and God’s essence/nature if love, I believe the Kingdom is first and foremost marked by love.

 

I think the Dave Matthews Band concert was an experience of the Kingdom of Heaven in several important ways.  Where have you experienced the Kingdom?  What does it look like in your view?  What do you think?

 

If you enjoyed the blog you can sign up on the right for email notifications for future blogs I write, or check out the most recent blogs here.  Also, I have a Facebook site named “Beautiful and Broken Becoming Beautiful” where I post encouraging words on living love that I’d love for you to “like.”

 

Grace and peace,
Lang