Can you imagine the life of Jesus being set to music? Oh wait.
Well, can you imagine Matthew 5 being set to music? Oh, yeah.
Ok, but can you imagine Jesus standing on the Mount of Olives, belting out “Baby, you’re a firework. Come on, let your colors burst?”
No?
Try to imagine it.
Try harder.
And then listen.
Do you ever feel like a plastic bag,
Blessed are the poor in spirit
Drifting through the wind
Blessed are the meek
Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin
Blessed are those who mourn
Do you ever feel already buried deep?
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst
Do you know that there’s still a chance for you
You are the light of the world
Cause there’s a spark in you?
They put it on its stand
You just gotta ignite the light
It gives light to everyone in the house.
And let it shine
Let your light shine
‘Cause baby, you’re a firework
A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
Come on, let your colors burst
Neither do people light a lamp
And now it’s time to let it through
and put it under a bowl
‘Cause baby you’re a firework
Let your light shine before others
Come on, show ’em what you’re worth
I went and saw Part of Me the other night. I’ll have more on that later this week. But when they played this song, all I could think was how this woman, who had to leave fundamentalism to find herself, had transformed the classic Sunday school song into an anthem. I wondered if she knows how clearly she is explaining what life with Jesus could be like.
Fun. I never heard the song or saw the video before.
The question that occurs to me as an exegete of the Sermon on the Mount is of course “what is it that makes you a city on a hill or the light of the world and what is the path of realization?
I suspect for Katy the path is self-expression and self-discovery propelled by self-expression. Jesus’ assertions of the path of finding and losing one’s self is a bit different and definitely more arduous.
Jesus had a Katy Perry popularity for a season but his evaluation of that season and of the fans he attracted was complex. The ultimate self-expression for Jesus was self-denial and vindication came not through popularity or affirmation by others but from resurrection and vindication in the flesh of creation 2.0.
Jesus might share Katy’s critique of some of the bondages in the micro-narratives of the video, but Jesus’ chest didn’t explode with fireworks applauded by surrounding frenemies, his side bled with his blood while being mocked by those who gleefully imagined his demise.
The way of the cross is endlessly curious as is the path out of the tomb.
well yes, the comparison can only go so far, haha. It will be interesting to see where she ends up as she works all of this exploration of life and faith out.
Wow! It’s pretty crazy how “Firework” and Matthew 5 fit together so much like that. My first reaction is to think the messages behind each of them totally don’t fit together. “Firework” is saying “hey, you’re awesome, have some self-esteem” and Jesus was saying… hmm… what was he saying? Something like “it’s the disadvantaged people, the needy people, the humble, that can receive God’s blessings the most.” So Jesus focuses it more on how people relate to God. But wow, maybe they are addressing the same people.
I know, it was the strangest thing to think about the song like that. But really, the reason behind Jesus saying what he did in the Beatitudes, was because all those people were valuable, right? They were the same people that would be told they were unimportant, not worthy, just like KP’s audience. I’ve never seen two seemingly opposite things together like that – now I want to find more!
Yes thats why she was the whore that rides the beast in her last live performance that trampled on the saints (represented by light bulbs). Did you see it? These words in the song firework aren’t even remotely similar to the words of jesus.
Like me saying “i went the shop and found a dollar” and you fitting that to mean
“And to him that was faithful to increase, much more will he get”.
“You’ve just got to ignite the light” you say interpreted as
“It gives light to everyone in the house”? Seriously?
Just because the only, ONLY similar words are light, you connect the dots that aren’t there. “Yea, katty mentions light and mentiins lighting a firework she is a christian quoting the bible yes, YES” Moron, she’s as much a christian as satan is. Wake up your idiot.