One of my earliest memories is having our own “Children's Church” time. While the parents went to their Bible study, we got to study the Bible – we got to study Jesus – see Jesus! (I guess it was our Sunday School, but we didn't sit at desks, so it never felt like school, it felt like a concert!)
When we left our parents for those 45 minutes, we were escorted to a big meeting space (and thank God, because I, as a six or seven-year-old, was shy - timid - afraid of so many things).
We sat down on the carpet and a man wearing a suit and a guitar stood up front. (Not enough good men wear suits anymore…)
I was impressed! Always a smile, he would lead us in singing what I would call, “Camp Songs." (Now this was 1981 and I’m talking the original camp songs: “As The Deer (Pants For The Water, My Soul Longs After You),” “Thy Word (Is A Lamp Unto My Feet),” and, of course, “I Am A ‘C’” (which I always tried to sing/spell faster than anyone else around me! "I am a C,H,R,I,S,T,I,A,N!” I always thought I could also spell, “Mississippi” faster than any other person I knew.)
One of my favorites, though, was, “Blind Man.”
"Blind man stood by the road and he cried,
‘Show me the way!
Show me the truth!
Show me the life,
I want to go home!"
Over the years I’ve thought fondly about those times…
(…perhaps they impressed me more than I know.)
I still remember the name of the man who sang to us – led us – Rod Haworth. (I still think that’s a cool name.)
We all have our stories about what popular musician or band influenced our life… Like many others I claim,
Kenny Rogers and Neil Diamond…
Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W. Smith…
Bruce Carroll, Mark Lowry, and Rich Mullins…
Andrew Peterson and Jason Gray…
…but I didn’t know any of them in 1981.
But, I knew Rod.
I've never felt that I belonged anywhere, not even in my own family. But looking back, maybe music is a “family” that I’ve belonged to all my life. And perhaps Rod was a sort of musical, fatherly influence to me. (I certainly felt accepted in his presence. He was only one of two men I've ever met who seemed to like children. He was Jesus to me, and he made Jesus alive and fun!) Though vague now (in my distant memory), it was probably the closest I’ve ever felt to being the “apple” of someone’s eye.
~ ~ ~
As I got older and left Sunday School behind me, those songs became less popular. As a young adult, I realized that no one was singing these “old” songs anymore, and wouldn’t it be nice if they did…
And, wouldn’t it be nice if we could have even more songs like we did in those “old” days…
I questioned, Why hasn’t anyone written more about the blind men in scripture? What fantastic miracles! The blind see. The lame walk and stretch out their hands. The dead are raised to life – physically, psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually! What’s more, faith is kindled in the hearts of new believers that now want to share God’s love with others - encouraging them to know the same love that they have experienced – to eventually share the same home and same inheritance every believer is promised… in scripture.
~ ~ ~
“Blind Man” stuck with me though… and there's a fascinating bit of wisdom in the lyric - a prophetic philosophy…
In the song, the blind man doesn’t ask God for physical sight…
(you’d think he would).
Instead, he calls out to God to show him the way - the more important sight, The Way to go home – (he just wants to know how to go home with God). I love this! The blind man asks to be shown where to go to get not just his physical impairments healed, but where his relationship with God will be remade as well!
Perhaps the blind man understood “all this will be added to him too when he first seeks God…” ~Matthew 6:30-34.
And isn’t that what God’s focus is on, in our lives, still today? I’ve found that God seems to care more about our hearts (and our eternal destination), than “merely” providing for our immediate desires (though sometimes He does both, and isn’t that just like God – to be so generous?!)
In the song, Jesus stands by the road of our lives and answers,
"I am The Way!
I am The Truth!
I am The Life,
The Way to go home!"
I want to see the more important Truth… as the blind man saw.
~ ~ ~
Many cultures share the parent’s name with their children – even handing down their business, their reputation, their honor, and their responsibilities – along with their name. In America, we add the Family Name to the end of everyone’s individual name. When married, women often change their original family name to the new family name they are becoming a part of. Some cultures even alter their own family’s surname for every new generation – while still incorporating part of their own name into their children's name: A son of John would be known as John’s son… or Johnson. “Bar” in the Bible means, “son of,” so, we would have known Jesus as, Yeshua Bar Joseph.
Maybe, in a way, Rod Haworth was the father of my music ministry – passing down the mantle to me – (inviting me really,) to participate, create, and eventually inviting others to follow in the family's footsteps - Jesus’ footsteps - of pointing others to THE Father.
~ ~ ~
Looking at my name… Drew Jarrod… I wonder, now, if God had something to do with naming me – if He really does have a guiding hand over my entire destiny – even from my beginnings. (Christians know that God has a hand in our lives, from THE beginning, not just our beginning.)
And that's how I think I'm going to see my name and my work; my mission and my ministry, from now on...
Just carrying on the family name and business – God’s family business – as a spiritual son of a spiritual son. Just carrying on in a great family's tradition.
~ ~ ~
Thank you, Rod, for introducing me to the path that will lead me home, too… “Born Blind” was inspired by your steadfast obedience to God's call in your life and your willingness to serve. This song is for you, and for all the Drews out there who are looking for a little of God’s greatness to get through; to lead them in the paths of righteousness as well; to show them The Way to have the better sight - the ultimate sight and live in a better relationship with God - Jesus.
~Drew Jar Rod