Re-Presenting The Icon: LIVING IN EXILE (amidst the empire)

Lately I have been reflecting on The Kingdom of God and how we as followers of Jesus live out our calling as ambassadors of that Kingdom in the midst of earthly empires. Earthly kingdoms come with their own evangelists announcing their own gospel. A gospel of self indulgence, selfishness, comfort and luxury. This gospel turns out to be fraudulent falling short of it's promises of freedom and only leads to further bondage. My next few postings will center around this theme. With that being said, I leave you with theses lyrics addressing this very topic.

"Time In Babylon" by Jill Cunniff & Emmylou Harris

Five-lane highway, danger zone
SUV and a speaker phone
You need that chrome to get you home
Doin' time in Babylon
Cluster mansion on the hill
Another day in Pleasant ville
You don't like it, take a pill
Doin' time in Babylon

In the land of the proud and free
You can sell your soul and your dignity
For fifteen minutes on TV
Doin' time in Babylon
So suck the fat, cut the bone
Fill it up with silicone
And everybody must get cloned
Doin' time in Babylon

Little boy blue come blow your horn
The crows are in the corn
The morning sky is red and falling down
The piper's at the till, he's coming for the kill
Luring all our children under-ground in Babylon

We came from apple pie and mom
Through civil rights and ban the bomb
To Watergate and Vietnam
Hard times in Babylon
Rallied round the megaphone
Gave it up, just got stoned
Now it's Prada, Gucci and Ferron
Doin' time in Babylon

Little boy blue come blow your horn
The crows are in the corn
The morning sky is red and falling down
The piper's at the till, he's coming for the kill
Luring all our children under-ground in Babylon

Get results, get 'em fast
We're ready if you got the cash
Someone else will be laughin' last
Doin' time in Babylon
So put that conscience on the shelf
Keep the best stuff for yourself
And let the rest fight over what is left
Doin' time in Babylon

Little boy blue come blow your horn
The crows are in the corn
The morning sky is red and falling down
Let your song of healing spark a way out of this dark
Lead us to a higher and a holy ground