just enough...

So, i've never been a huge fan of Jars of Clay... in fact during the height of my obsession with Contemporary Christian music in the mid 90s (permission to mock granted), i was anti-Jars of clay in the battle royale (actual or fictitious i will never know) between Jars of Clay and DC Talk... A little older and a little wiser, i've come to see that DC Talk was not all that great, and perhaps... just maybe... Jars of Clay is not all that bad... I've really come to like this song off their most recent album:

Faith Enough
By: Jars of Clay

The ice is thin enough for walkin'
The rope is worn enough to climb
My throat is dry enough for talkin'
The world is crumblin' but I know why
The world is crumblin' but I know why

The storm is wild enough for sailing
The bridge is weak enough to cross
This body frail enough for fighting
I'm home enough to know I'm lost
Home enough to know I'm lost


It's just enough to be strong
In the broken places, in the broken places
It's just enough to be strong
Should the world rely on faith tonight


The land unfit enough for planting
Barren enough to conceive
Poor enough to gain the treasure
Enough a cynic to believe
Enough a cynic to believe

Confused enough to know direction
The sun eclipsed enough to shine
Be still enough to finally tremble
See enough to know I'm blind
See enough to know I'm blind

Should the world rely on faith tonight


When I first heard it, i really enjoyed the literary devices used in juxtaposing seemingly paradoxical images to reveal deeper truths...But as i listened to it more, the words in the chorus, "it's just enough to be strong in the broken places..." branded itself into my mind. It reminds me of Ephesians 6, where Paul talks about the armor of God:

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.


This whole idea of standing firm is repeated over and over in the new testament... i like it... its not overly ambitious... in fact, it only requires one thing of us: presence. It sounds simple, but its not always easy.

"It's just enough to be strong, in the broken places, in the broken places..."