SOCIETY OF THE BROKEN CITY OF THE DAMAGED Our world is broken. Our culture is in a state of decay. As a result we have introduced a new terminology into our vocabulary...Throw Away People. Somehow our advanced society has found it appropriate to refer to some of us as nothing more than human garbage. If we don't fit in then we are kicked out, isolated, ignored, mocked and rejected. It may be because of the way we look, the way we dress, our tattoos, piercings, hair or attitudes. It may be for no reason at all. One way or another we have all ended up out here looking for hope, answers and peace of mind. Our basic needs are simple. We want love, acceptance, affirmation and forgiveness. The ways we try to meet these needs are many. Some of them will kill us. We often find ourselves doing things just to blend in. It's not really for the high, the thrill or the excitement...we just don't want to be rejected again. We are like black roses in a sea of reds, yellows, pinks and whites. We are different from everyone else. We are a society of outcasts. Very few people understand our pain, frustration, anger, fear and loneliness. Some of us cannot bear the pain so we drown in drugs, sex, alcohol and apathy. Unfortunately some of us will even attempt suicide. There has to be a way out of this darkness. Imagine the light of a candle held by a hand with a nail scar in it. He whispers your name softly and tells you to follow Him. He doesn't want to hurt you, steal from you or mislead you. You follow Him to a safe place where He begins to cleanse the wounds in your spirit. He makes you feel whole. His mere presence gives you hope and life. This is not a myth or a fairy tale. There really is a way out of your personal hell. Someone loves you and doesn't want your flesh in return. He only wants your heart. His name is Jesus Christ.Part of my ministry here at C3 consists of me going to goth clubs and events a couple of times a week. Kevin Petersen and I hang out and get to know some of the people at the clubs. By the end of the night (or at the beginning of the day-however you view 4am) we hand out fliers for C3's monthly Goth Night. So simply put, I spend a decent amount of time in goth hang-outs. One trait that is a staple to all goth venues is the lighting- or the lack of lighting. Black tables, black walls and floors, combined with a bare amount of luminosity makes for an extremely dark, eerie feel. One night I sat amid the murky area of Club Neo, and as I surveyed the room I began to ponder some things. Although these kinds of clubs are known for the lack of light, what would a goth club be without ANY light whatsoever? The pitch black of the room wouldn't be nearly as appealing if not for sparsely placed candles, revealing black lights, and dancing strobe lights. The true beauty of the dark room is found in the contrasting, piercing light, as scarce as these lights may seem. The true beauty of these lights, however, seems to be found when they contrast the engulfing darkness. The rarity of light seems to add to the intensity of each light source in the room. As I thought about this, I was reminded of some of humanity's most common questions. Why do bad things happen? Why do we hurt? Why is it that the world can be such an ugly, difficult place to live in? And why in the world does God allow all of this? Indeed, many of us are beaten, bruised, scarred, scabbed...overwhelmed. In the midst of darkness, His light becomes all the more glorious... In the midst of disdain, His love becomes all the more lovely... In the midst of pain, His words are all the more soothing... In our neediness, His provision is all the more precious... In our weaknesses we are reminded of His endless strength. I'm still not entirely sure of why we have to suffer, but sometimes we do, and through it may the glory of our Lord be magnified, and may we be drawn to Him. By: David Verdin
GRAVEYARD heartbeats like tombstones all in a row so dead inside so lonely raven soul fly away whisper gently i will surely die 1000 times without love and purpose
PRESENCE footsteps among the tombstones not the spirits evil not the dragon not the demon army He follows us into the darkness He waits for us to turn there is a presence divine a gentle lamp to guide us out He waits He waits for us to turn
TEARDROP He sees the stream down your cheek the crystal drops salty and warm He hears the echo in your soul explosions of pain and isolation He hears your muffled cries for rescue He pulls the spider webs away He releases the claw He destroys the lies Jesus noble king radiant guide supreme power purest love Saviour of the shattered