I Saw The Light On Dirty 6th

There’s no shortage of hole-in-the-wall clubs, bars, and eats that line 6th Street in downtown Austin. In fact, few cites can rival the concentration and quantity of live music venues. Live music is the norm. It’s the destination many a nights for a largely 20-something crowd. East 6th has its own particular grime, reflecting a heavily trafficked college scene. But this was South-by so all bets were off. A stage is a stage and the audience can swell in short order.

Enter the tangent. Jesus came proclaiming the present availability of the Kingdom of Heaven. His declaration inaugurated a new reality by suggesting that this life – this world – can be reclaimed, restored, and reconciled. No longer is heaven an alternative location but a new reality in which he invites creation to live into.

John’s narrative (as in, the Gospel of John) reiterates four themes embedded in the mission of Jesus’ tenure on earth – Light, Life, Love, and Truth. Again and Again, he fleshes out these themes both subtly and pointedly. They are his four descriptors for the incarnation. But it doesn’t end there. The invitation Jesus gives for a better way of life is that, like Christ, we would also become a reflection of that Light, of that which gives Life, of that which resounds with Love, and which shares Truth.

So I’m standing in the back of a tiny club, which means I’m only about 50 feet or so from the stage. It was packed with enthusiasm and bodies. A-listers shoulder to shoulder with commoners gathered under the banner of appreciation.

One after another, emerging talent stepped up, like a musical share fest. Music that felt as accessible as the artists themselves.

It’s been said that art imitates life. I love it when art interrupts life. While enjoying the company of friends, a lyric rung out above the bar chatter that captured me—“the miracle was not walking on the water…”. A soulful black man playing an acoustic guitar sung it out like an anthem. “The miracle was not walking on the water…”. Hardly the place I expected to be reminded of my Sunday school stories but by this point, he was piquing my curiosity. And again, “the miracle was not walking on the water…”. At this point, the singer/songwriter I came to know as Chris Pierce, had my undivided attention. I audibly asked, what is it? He answered me on cue, “…the miracle is walking on the earth…step by step…day by day”.

Light was peeking through.

“Where can I go from your Spirit? 
Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” Ps.139:7-8