24

            The song 24 is a moving, reflective song that was written when Jon Foreman turned 24. Now that I’m no longer a teenager as of today, it seemed fitting.  The song is about reflecting on life, all that’s been done, and left undone. In this look into the previous 24 years of his life, Jon sees that his life isn’t full of teddy bears and rainbows. He acknowledges that he isn’t where he wishes to be, and that he needs God to make him better.

            I feel like we’ve all had these moments, moments when you step back and look at your life, and realize that things didn’t turn out as you’d hoped. It’s an awakening that is good for getting us back on track, and bad for our ego. As hard as it may be to evaluate where we are (especially if we don’t like that place), if we don’t do it every so often, we will lose ourselves and never know it. Getting back on track can be harder than admitting we’re lost. And without the Spirit’s guidance, getting back on track is no walk in the park. It’s like driving; if you don’t know where you are, you can try all you want to get back on track, and you might succeed, but it will take trial and error. If you’re driving with a passenger who knows every road and where they all go, then you won’t have any problems finding where to go, assuming you are willing to listen to the passenger. I’m always impressed with the heart behind Switchfoot songs. Think about being Switchfoot, they’re huge rock stars with loads of money. They have their own label because they could build a recording studio in their hometown. They have got it made. Yet he still feels like he isn’t perfect, or even close. So many people who he’s never met love him, and he still acknowledges that he needs something more and without it he’s lost. It’s great that he isn’t just settling in to the rich life and still trying to draw closer to the true source of purity and goodness.

            I was indifferent about this song for the longest time. Sure the music gave a moving, introspective vibe, but it seemed like nothing more that someone writing about the fact that he’s 24 and whatever. It’s amazing how songs that you’ve known forever can suddenly surprise you (especially Switchfoot, in my experience). As the song unfolds, the lyrics progress through what is probably the writers train of thought. It goes from looking around, to looking back, to the awakening, to asking for redemption, to wanting to see more in life. The song choruses through a few of these themes multiple times but that’s the basic pattern of the song as I see it. I think the last part, wanting to see more in life, might be the most important part. Anyone can look at themselves and not like everything they see (in fact something’s wrong if you do like everything you see), but it takes courage and ambition to not just want fix yourself but to become so much more. Where would we be without people who stepped up and decided that they weren’t going to just be satisfied with their lives but that they were going to be someone? One person can change the world. You just have to be fully committed to your mission/purpose. I think Switchfoot is a good example of this. They were just a couple of kids from San Diego who liked surfing and music. They weren’t (and still aren’t) the best guitarists since Hendrix, but they knew who they were and what they believed. I believe their passion is why they have come as far as they have. The passion they have is something that comes from taking a look at yourself and figuring out how to become a better person. We could all use some more of these awakening moments, why not start today?

            By the way, if you’re reading this or any other song and haven’t heard the song before, listen to it. And don’t just listen to it but LISTEN to it. You’re reading a blog so you obviously have a couple minutes to spare.