Pink Floyd … Time (Our Story as Experienced Through Music)

It’s a bit different. You don’t normally have your pastor tell you to listen to Pink Floyd in preparing for Bible studies. But that’s how I roll.

Every one of us has a story, a life journey that is filled with questions, drama, soul searching, relationships, and a search for something bigger, something beyond ourselves. We tell this story in various ways, but one way is music. And music seems to have a way to connect people … unless you’re talking worship music styles, then that is a whole now avenue we call worship wars. Ughh. Let’s do that another day, or not.

But music is expressive; it draws our souls and emotions. It brings out memories, feelings, joys, sorrows, and so much more. We may have different styles of music to express these emotions, but it hits pretty deep when it hits.

Week one of the study is the beginning of our story. We all have within us a void, an emptiness that we try to fill with multiple things or such. But it is there and we find we can’t really fix that void ourselves, no matter how much we try or how many ways we try.

One of the four songs I recommended to listen to was Time, by Pink Floyd. The song comes from his Dark Side of the Moon album that explored the darker side of ourselves and life.

Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day 
You fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way. 
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town 
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way.

It begins with a introduction of clock sounds. Bells, ringing, tick-tocks, clanging, etc., challenges us to ponder the passing of time. The instrumental aspect, as it builds from only instrumental, to adding more parts, then a guitar, and more as it reaches the conclusion … this show the progression of life, slowly starting, thinking we have forever, but time catches up and we never have enough of it.

Mankind does have a void. We are told eternity is written upon our hearts, and man can’t find the fulfillment without Him (Ecco 3.11). And we try to fill that void with so many things … which in the end, are all meaningless. But there is hope, there is purpose, and there is that which brings meaning to life and eternity … but it’s only found in God.

The song Time never gets there. It shows us the void without the hope. But there is hope. And what a great thing it would be if you know that hope. Don’t wait too long. Time does run out.

I also encouraged them to listen to How Soon is Now (which most found really dark), California Dreamin’, and Running on Empty. All show the void in our life.

Next week, Desire. So listen to Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, Stairway to Heaven, and More Than a Feeling.

Pleas note: this is not an endorsement of all these artists’ music, but an exploration of how these songs hit home when sharing the emotions and questions we all have when we explore our story.