i found my home in babylon

when I was at greenbelt in 2008 there was so much on that i kept missing out on things, including a poetry reading by padraig that the other aussies came away raving about.

the fringe team used the song "yearn" as part of "the landscape of desire". i heard it a zillion times last week and finally worked out that it was from the ikon "dubh" album (ie. the belfast community that pete rollins is part of).

jonny used three tracks from padraig's new album "hymns to swear by" at our college chapel service that he and steve taylor co-led last wednesday, stunning, daring stuff, and certainly a healthy shove for our college community. first time i've been in chapel where the f" word was used three times (in one of the songs). [there were many other wonderful aspects of the worship, that I need to write about...]

and the provocative line in the song "maranatha", "I found my home in babylon"... really interesting to combine that line with "jesus, come soon!"

anyway, the album has just become available on proost. and what's more there's a free song as part of proost freebies. its simply remarkable.

Comments

[steve]

do you think that line should be sung by kiwis who come to adelaide - i've found my home in babylon?

:)

steve

[craig]

hmmm... "here in exile'.... that part might be true! i wonder which babylonian sins south australia is famous for>

[steve]

it's actually a deeply subversive line, in terms of reading the Old Testament, cos it depends on which image of Babylon is being referred to:
- is it the Babylon of punishment to which Israel are sent
- is it the Babylon of "stay there, eating and drinking ie Incarnational dwelling
- is it the Babylon of comfort, where life was easy and pleasurable, compared to the hard work of rebuilding Jerusalem.

"babylon" is a changing signifier! So is Padraig founding a home in punishment, in Incarnational or in consumerist pleasure.

steve

[craig]

yes i did realise that... he does combine the phrase with "maranatha" which i find interesting, and certainly the song speaks of deep need, of incompleteness, so i dont think its option #3. nor do i think it's #1, as he's not suggesting punishment. but the song does seem to yearn for something, perhaps not redemption but at least transforming presence, so I'd put my money on #2.