Where the Hell Is Matt? (2008)
My good friend, LK, alerted me to this video. It’s fun and inspiring…while challenging my Adventist aversion to dancing! It’s the 2nd just such video made—in 42 countries over 14 months.
Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.
If the above high-quality video isn’t working for you, try this Youtube version:
Matt’s site is: http://www.wherethehellismatt.com
The lyrics of the music are based off a poem. From Gitanjali by Rabindranath Tagore (sung by Palbasha Siddique). Would Psalm 150 be just as fitting? Hmmm, anyhow, here’s the lyrics:
"Stream of Life"
The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day
runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures.
It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth
in numberless blades of grass
and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers.
It is the same life that is rocked in the ocean-cradle of birth
and of death, in ebb and in flow.
I feel my limbs are made glorious by the touch of this world of life.
And my pride is from the life-throb of ages dancing in my blood this moment.
July 16th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
Julius,
I included a link to this clip in a Spectrum posting I made about 4 hours ago. I stumbled upon it while I was surfing YouTube. I watched it at least a dozen times…and cried each time. Then I checked out this site and was delighted that you had posted it! Be sure to watch the Outtakes, too.
Does our theology make people want to dance? Why can’t we make the whole world into one big party…instead of a war-zone? Is this the ‘Kingdom of God’ that Jesus talked about?
July 17th, 2008 at 8:05 am
Dear Julius:
I first saw this video from a link over on lewrockwell.com. It did not raise questions for me about how we worship; it did encourage me in that it seemed to illustrate the relentless positivity of humanity. Here are numerous persons, having little if any understanding of the Great Controversy War, born onto the battlefield of a world washed in sin and sorrow, smiling, dancing, being silly, being human, making the most of it. Was there some “look at me, world!” feeling in the hearts of the participants? Can’t read those hearts. Probably yes. But God is not looking for infractions and imperfections as a basis for our destruction; He is looking for people who desire to enjoy the life He has given and to grow more human. The people in these videos seem that way. Even the evil desire to give good gifts to their children. God is big enough to work with that. To me, all the giggling children and silly adults looked like Revelation 14 people in the making. It is His good pleasure to give them the Kingdom. He desires that they have what we have, and we need some of what they have too: we need not be ashamed of where our humanity starts; but we can smile as we learn how to truly govern ourselves on the way to where we are going. We can and should be about our Father’s work with smiles on our faces!
July 17th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
I just saw this the other day too–I was surprised by how moved I was by it. I felt like I’d glimpsed a universal side of humanity.
July 17th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
How sad that these poor individuals have “little if any understanding of the Great Controversy War.”
How sad that we believe that those who do not, or awfully deprived! Pray, tell, how would they benefit by knowing what you know about it?
July 17th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
Dear Elaine:
Why so dour? You might not find my answer helpful at this time. Let’s keep cheerful. May you find renewed hope in your pathway.
July 18th, 2008 at 7:37 am
Wow, great video.
Made my laugh and cry (almost) at the same time.
We’re organizing a vespers in a couple weeks at our church around the theme of diversity and will be using this clip.
Thanks!
July 18th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Since Larry won’t get into a sparring session with Elaine…
… I will. Jokings aside, Elaine, you may disagree with Larry’s conception of the Great Controversy, but wouldn’t you say that there would be benefit in sharing with the people of the world Christian convictions concerning spiritual battles? That there are choices to be made for good in the world, that God is deeply concerned with and working on behalf of our eternal destiny, that evil forces are active in the world, that there is hope and redemption. What could be wrong with that? Of course, in the course of the conversation, we may pass on some things that turn out to be downright wrong, and we can get condescending, etc. but that can’t deter us from loving them with the truth as we understand it and serving them with the love of Christ, can it?
October 27th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
On that note, a recent article by Homer Trecartin challenged me. It is popular these days to criticise missionaries for their cultural imperialism; however compare the other voices crying for attention - like corporate greed and materialism, or recently the lust in Western television, and the missionaries don’t look so bad.