Should Lorde’s new single “Solar Power” offend Christians?

I opened up YouTube and went over to their music tab to see what new videos have been posted lately. At the very tippy top was Lorde (who’s basically been missing in action for a few years) with her new single “Solar Power,” a subdued yet if possible, even a bit peppy, new track perfect for beach hangs. Check it out…

Watching the video for the first time was incidentally also the first time I’d listened to the song, too. So it was all brand new to me. As I’m listening, I think it will be a great addition to my Beach Beats Spotify playlist. But… then I heard something like the name of Jesus in the lyrics. Naturally, I looked the lyrics up and sure enough she says, “I’m kinda like a prettier Jesus.”

Now, one can take this in one of two ways. On the one hand, you could say she’s just playing off of what Isaiah said in chapter 53 of his book in the Bible.

“He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him…”

One of my favorite chapters in the entire Bible, it’s talking about the future Messiah and how he will serve people. It’s a prophecy of Jesus, let’s just get that out there. So Lorde is using playful lyrics to highlight a truth from the Bible… or, is she being offensive?

Offensive would mean that Lorde is claiming to be better than Jesus. To dive in deeper, she might be saying that she offers the same things He does, but she looks better doing it. Now, I don’t think anyone is brazen enough to make such a claim, even someone who does not acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah, God’s Son, Savior, etc.

On the bright side for Christians who might hear this song and be offended, it is something that Lorde admits Jesus had (or has) an existence. Just to mention His name is somewhat of an acknowledgement that He was a real person who lived on earth, right?

My guess is that Lorde is somewhere between those two thoughts. Not a professing Christian but also not a persecutor of the Christian faith. As for the song itself, it’s pretty catchy and I like it, but I haven’t decided yet whether I will add it to my Spotify playlist. I just want to make sure I’m not willingly listening to something that is in clear and present danger of antagonizing my Lord. That’s Lord without the ‘e’, mind you 🙂 With that said, I’m a big fan of the literal solar power (the sun) after the winter that never seemed to end here in Nashville. Bring on the hot sun and the beach, I agree with Lorde there.

What do you think of the song and the lyrics? Did the phrase in question stand out to you as being offensive to Christians, or is it a nod to Jesus in some way?

Thanks for stopping by…

-Out of the Wilderness

That time I was accused of being 55 yrs old

When I was in my mid-30s I played soccer for an adult recreational team. Like a few other sports, I am a little better than average but what I lack in skill, I make up for by being a pest on defense. In one particular game, I was being aggressive on defense which turned out to really tick off an opposing player. In his frustration, he asked loudly, “Aren’t you, like, 50??”

This made me laugh. He was probably mid to late 20s, so I took it as a compliment that I was able to hang with him.

Fast forward about 6 years and it happened again, but this time on the softball field. A player on the other team, who is known for talking trash (even his team admits he’s not very likable), was yapping his mouth and I wasn’t able to have enough self-control to keep my mouth shut. So as we’re going back and forth, he says something to the affect of, “How does it feel to be 55 and the oldest player on your team?”

I’m sensing a trend here, and honestly I’ve known it was an issue for awhile– I get too competitive and this drive to be the best and/or win makes me do things and say things I probably shouldn’t. This guy’s words didn’t hurt in the moment.

But as I drove home after the game, I began to have a pity party for myself. His comments sent me down a road of doubt, low self-esteem, and embarrassment. I thought about things I haven’t accomplished, failures of things I’ve tried, and all sorts of negative thoughts. That lasted for about an hour.

Then it dawned on me. An epiphany, if you will.

I LOVE how old I am (I’m 42, by the way)! Would I go back to my 30s if I had the chance? Very, very doubtful. How about 20s? Hecccckkkk no. I was born at the perfect time for my life to exist, and I’m so happy with what I’ve experienced in my 42 years of living. A friend recently posted a quote on social media, and it really struck a chord. It said…

Never regret growing older, it’s a privilege denied to many.

I love that. So even though I let that one person’s comments get me down for a short time, I’m glad to be reminded that life is good. Life is a gift. Through experience, mistakes, successes, ups, downs, joys, sorrows, through all of what life has brought my way over the years, I can appreciate where I am now. Think about a roller coaster. The first couple of decades as an adult are like the coaster being dragged up that first steep incline. You know good things are all around but it can be a struggle. Then you get to the top and, well, just hold on tight! Fun times ahead. But you don’t get the thrill without climbing the hill.

Undoubtedly the ups and downs of life will continue. I guess it will be that way until I go meet the great Spirit in the Sky, but I hope that young whipper snapper from the softball field gets to be 42… and 55. What a privilege!

Thanks for stopping by!

-Out of the Wilderness

New Balance’s new “Impatient” ad, and how it offers up misleading real-world advice

New Balance has a new ad out featuring moderately famous celebrities Jaden Smith, Coco Gauff, Sadio Mane, and Sydney McLaughlin. Take a look…

The catchphrase New Balance builds this commercial around, Impatience is a Virtue, is a play off the well-known proverb: “Patience is a virtue.” The point of the ad is to say that when you want something, you need to go get it. Today is the day. Carpe diem. Work, work, work, and you will get your reward sooner rather than later.

The Music. The song playing in the background is “Wrestling with Elephants” by Safari Youth.

The conflict. I understand New Balance and their ad campaign aims to win with a catchy/memorable phrase, but “impatience is a virtue” just doesn’t ring true in the real world. Younger generations might identify with the “I get what I want when I want it” mentality, but here is a list of few things that are in conflict with living impatiently…

Being great at a sport (you’d think New Balance would know this)

Road rage (isn’t it all caused by impatience?)

quitting a job or project before it’s finished

having a baby

adopting a baby

training for the Olympics

eating a perfect avocado

surfing

fishing

sewing

finding a spouse

gambling

waiting for glue to dry

training a dog

donating hair to Locks of Love (minimum donation length is 10 inches, which could take up to 2 years to grow to this length)

becoming a famous singer

a perfectly cooked steak

roasting marshmallows

learning to wakeboard

learning a new language

binge-watching an entire series in one night (arguably, this might not be a bad thing to some folks)

clipping a bonsai tree

seasonal crops

building anything out of Lego blocks

winning a game of monopoly

winning a game of chess (I think? I don’t know, I stink at chess)

beating your nephew and brother-in-law in a pickleball tournament

buying a house

setting up dominos

…and much more!

Your turn! What other things can be added to this list? Think about tasks and projects and adventures that can only be accomplished with patience, then comment below.

Final Thoughts. All of these things take time, energy, and work. Someone might be born with talent for a certain sport, but certainly a 10-year-old would not be able to make it in the NBA. The young person needs patience to continue developing their skills, learning new ones, and becoming the best player they can be. In the end, it’s quite wrong to think impatience leads to anywhere a person actually wants to be.

Thanks for stopping by!

-Out of the Wilderness

Things you shouldn’t say anymore, like “Indian style”

It’s 2021 and with so much so-called progress within our species as humans, our language has developed along the way, as well. I came up with a few words and phrases that were common in the last 20 to 30 years that are not quite acceptable in today’s American society.

These are just a few that I thought of on my own. If you feel comfortable sharing more, comment below.

Wigger – I remember this one from the late 80s. It was a term used for a white person dressed like a black person. Back then it meant baggy clothes, Nikes, gold chains, etc.

Indian Style – This was a way to sit on the floor, legs crossed. Now a popular phrase used instead is “criss-cross applesauce.” Indian style is considered offensive in 2021.

Photo by Monstera on Pexels.com

Indian giver – I haven’t heard this phrase in a long, long time, but it was used when a person gave something to someone (as a gift, usually) then took it back.

Transvestite – This was a term used for a person who dressed like the opposite sex. Typically it represented a man dressing like a woman. Now, with folks claiming there are a million genders, what does “opposite sex” even mean? Terms like trans-gender and trans-sexual have taken it’s place as less offensive.

Boob tube – I added this one because, well, I haven’t heard it in a while and maybe that’s because it’s offensive to women, somehow. Also, with TVs becoming very high-tech and used in many different ways (broadcast, streaming, gaming, etc), it’s not much associated with the original thought that “boob tube” means: mindless activity for the mindless masses.

Photo by Rene Asmussen on Pexels.com

What else could be added to this list? Are there phrases or words still being used today that SHOULD be relegated to the past? Chime in below, and as always, thanks for stopping by!

-Out of the Wilderness

Another royal baby, and I’m still wondering why we should care?

The royals had another baby. Meghan Markle and hubby Harry welcomed a baby girl and while any new life is awesome, I’m STILL wondering why these folks are in the news… in the U.S.! I mean, does July 4th mean anything anymore? For all my life the royal family has made news here in the states. When I was little, I didn’t really think much about it.

Now as an adult, when I see news stories about anything royal, I’m like…

Especially when information about this couple (Harry and Meghan) is about as useful to me as a children’s book written by a Deal or No Deal “briefcase girl.”

Also, outside of the wedding event years ago, I haven’t really come across anyone who DOES care what’s going on with the royals. Could it be that mainstream media keeps up with them despite no one really caring? The way the media has presented itself in politics alone makes me believe that yes, it could be the media reporting on stuff they want us to think is important.

So back to the point of this post… if you can explain why I should care about the daily updates about Harry and Meghan, I’m all ears.

Thanks for stopping by!

-Out of the Wilderness