Hmmm… I don’t even really know how to start this blog here. Basically I’m just kinda confused about something. Not a bad way confused, but a good way confused. Confused about the man featured in the picture here above. I have to admit, I like this guy. I like his voice. In fact, it was his voice coming over the speakers of my explorer’s radio that one night 6 years ago penetrated my suffering soul with the words “Can you take me higher? To a place with golden streets? Can you take me higher? To a place where blind men see?”. My beautiful, wonderful savior used the words of this song to call me out of my religiosity, to call me out of my seeking after security in some sort of horizontal relationship, to call me after Himself in a depth of relationship that would indeed take off and higher still. I was a basket-case of tears, the flowing of them only outdone by the rain, the pounding of it only outdone by my wounded, pounding heart. I wasn’t even listening to the radio, in fact, I was crying out to God. Why has this happened to me? Why do I feel this way? What’s wrong with me? And then a simple - “Turn up the radio”. And I heard Creed, singing “Higher”, and my Lord spoke to me - “I want to take you higher than this world can ever take you. I want to love you more than this world could ever love you. I want you to give me your whole heart, not just the religious part of it.”My story has gone on from there, and praise God He has already fulfilled his promises and desires, and is yet ever doing so. But todays curiosity goes into the other side of the story. The story of a man named Scott Stapp, former lead singer of a band known as Creed. What has happened to him, the man whose thundering voice could at one time often be heard on 4 local stations at once? Single after single, the band seemed to have a relentless charge to the top of every chart. The vibrancy of their lyrics reached out to many, christians and non-christians alike, mostly because they were filled with depth and soul-searching questions. “With Arms Wide Open”, “One Last Breath”, “Sacrifice”, “What if?”, “Are You Ready”, all seemed to have some sort of yearning for the one true God who alone gives life, and made many question what ‘genre’ the band should be in.

Unfortunately, the band’s offstage interviews often times answered the questions “Are you guys Christians?” with violent denials, jokes, and cussing. But most of those times, there was Scott Stapp, sittling idly by, a searching man who seemingly could never figure out who he was. What could he say? His writing spoke one thing, his life another. He was the classic case of someone who everybody knew except himself. It seemed that the dichotomy wore on him like a plague, because it seemed apparent that his words made up who he was more than his life ever could. He could only really be himself through his music, but the rest of his life was just a lie. What could he do, where could he find himself?

Well, as surely as they showed up, Creed dropped off the map. Broke up. Gone. Why? I’m not totally sure, some said it was Scott Stapp’s vocal chords shutting down after some many stadium shaking shows. I don’t beleive it. I think Scott Stapp was trying to find out who Scott Stapp was. That’s why he took his 5 year old son and headed for Maui. Scott Stapp is looking for Scott Stapp. And I don’t think he has found him yet.

Npw, how in the world did I get on this to begin with? Well, while on mlb.com doing some research about a sports team for Infinity, I saw that MLB was (interestingly enough) featuring Scott’s new SOLO album “The Great Divide”. Hmmm, I wondered, havent heard of that guy in awhile, wonder where he’s at, if you know what I mean. Dressed in a t-shirt reading “Music is the weapon of the future” and a beanie, he sang portions of his new song - “The Great Divide” -

“I have run to the ocean
Through the Horizon
Chased the sun
I’ve waited for the light to come,
And at times I would give up
You have
Wrapped your loving arms ‘round me,
And with your love I’ll overcome.
You have
Loved me when I was weak,
You have
Given unselfishly,
Kept me from Falling…Falling
Everywhere but my Knees!

You set me free!
To live my life
You became my reason to survive the great divide
You set me Free!

I’ve been on Heaven’s doorstep,
With the Door open,
One foot inside
I’ve cried out…God give me answers!
Please hush child I’ll tell you why
You have
Loved me when you were weak,
You kept
Giving unselfishly,
Kept you from
Falling…Falling
Everywhere but your Knees!”

Wow. Sounds like he’s actually realized some things. But, still no real mention of Christ - is this more psycho-babble about a man trying to find his way, more words from Scott Stapp just trying to make a good record? Or has he finally found that there is one light, one love, and one way to “bridge the great divide” between heaven and earth, Jesus the Christ, the lamb of God? Some Christian publications have already been quick to announce Scott’s christianity, and that his new album is more worship like. Well, from this song, maybe, but lets see another…

“Justify” by Scott Stapp -

I do not have to justify,
The way I live my life.
I do not have to justify,
The reason I’m alive.

I saw her from across the room with diamond eyes she’s heaven’s jewel.
Dropped two aces smiled and threw my cards back.
Yeah I’ve been that man
Who lives deceit
Surrounds himself with worldly things.

So let me tell you a story
Let me feed it to you

We fly around like we were superman live in another trance
a different way to dance with dark romance
you get another chance to do that dirty dance without consequence.

Let me change the timber of this section
Add a little booze to ice
I guess you probably noticed
I’ve been living a double life

So fly around like you are superman given another chance
a different way to dance with true romance
you get another chance to tell your dirty, darkest secrets!

Aha! So he admits it, he has been living a double life! On paper, he wants to know and love God, but his life tells a different story. Has his solo effort allowed him to really figure out who he was, without all the distractions of who the band was around him? Has his quest for reality brought him any further on the journey to the strait gate? Or has he just come back to where he started, a life who gives homage in words, but not in deed? But then again…

“Surround Me” by Scott Stapp

” They say no man’s an island but I tend to disagree
I guess they’ve never seen my island,
And where it lies at sea
I’m lost inside my memory.
I’m still in disbelief.
If I could paint a picture for you this is what you’d see

I’m down on my knees
Begging you to rescue me
Please stop me
Don’t let me run
Surround me…Surround me…now

A wounded man sounds desperate when he’s lost all his belief
Can you look into my eyes and say you won’t betray me
We’re running out of time
How precious time can be
I’m counting all the moments of the times you could have helped me

I’m down on my knees
Begging you to rescue me
Please stop me
Don’t let me run
Surround me…Surround me”

Well, well, well, sounds like an awesome song to me. Perhaps he is further along, just not quite there yet. I sincerely hope so.

Now, the thing that really strikes me about this isn’t necessarily Scott Stapp himself, but the open portayal of a searching man, straight out and honest before the watching (and listening) world. This is a man, not unlike many men, who is demonstrating before us what many men never get to demonstrate: that they don’t have it all together, that they want to find answers, desperately, but they’re not sure where to find them. They want love, but their not sure where to find it, or if they even know where to begin looking.

So this curiosity has led me to this - Here is a picture, my friends, of a man (not unlike many we will come across) in desperate need of the love of Jesus Christ. What will we show him? What can lessons can we give, stories can we tell, of our own searchings and findings? Will we have much to say, will they give us the time of day? Will our eyes defend what our mouths are saying? Or will we simply sound like another broken record of the same ol’ same old. For men and women such as these, on the worlds stage and in the back-alleys - what, or shall I say, WHO, will we show them? Because they are desperate -

“Broken” by Scott Stapp

” Why are we overcome with fear?
What if I told you that fear isn’t real.
Why are we overcome with death?
What if I told you my friends your doubt
You could live without!

There is a question I want to understand
Why can’t everyone tell the truth and learn to love again

Do you know…what it feels like to be broken and used
Scared and confused
Yes I know

One more question…I know time is dear
Is what the world speaks of love really real?
The answers not of this world but very clear
Look above to find love and you found eternal life

Street corner preachers you’ve heard before
Friendly advice just gets thrown out the door
There is a question that I want to understand
Why can’t everyone tell the truth…and learn to love again

Do you know…what it feels like to be broken and used?
Scared and confused
Yes I know…what it feels like to be broken and used
Scared and confused
Yes I know

I’m Broken!”

Only Jesus knows how to pick up the pieces - let’s follow and learn of Him and His ways. If He alone is the answer to a lost, hurting, and searching world, we MUST know Him.