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My Favorite Song

If you’re a regular Theophilus reader, it won’t surprise you to learn that I like Bob Dylan.

A lot.

For those who don’t know, Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning six decades.

He first made a name for himself in the 1960s through his incredible lyrical talent.

That talent catapulted him to worldwide fame, and he has since become a living musical legend.

And it was in the late 1970s that this legend converted to Christianity and then went on to write the best song I’ve ever heard.

Every Grain of Sand

Bob Dylan’s conversion led to three overtly evangelical albums:

• Slow Train Coming (1979)

• Saved (1980)

• And Shot of Love (1981)

Are they his greatest albums? No.

But do they contain some hits? Absolutely.

One of which just so happens to be my favorite song.

“Every Grain of Sand” was released on Shot of Love and, to me, is among the greatest works of poetry in Church history.

It touches upon the following themes…

• Sin

• Failure

• Redemption

• Grace

• Eternity

• Mysticism

• And, of course, the love of God

The lyrics are colorful, somber when they need to be, imaginative, and God-glorifying.

If you can get past Dylan’s less-than-appealing voice, you’re in for a masterpiece of lyricism - one that cuts to the core of the spiritual experience.

The Sands of Our Own Lives

Like many of my generation, I struggle with depression and anxiety.

I had a particularly nasty attack a few months ago. Without going into too many details, I found myself in a place of hopelessness and despair. I falsely believed that my life was going nowhere, that this was my fault, and that there could be no place for me in this world. 

After an encouraging talk with my pastor, I went into my room, poured my heart out to God, and turned on “Every Grain of Sand.”

And as I listened, I heard Dylan sing about many things, including…

• …the sin we’re born into, and the fact that, in Christ, we can break the chain it uses to bind us.

• …the richness of life with God, in the form of the meaning and love He gives.

• …that God puts loneliness to death when we embrace life with Him.

• …and the inevitable loss of innocence that life brings, and how a newer, greater innocence is resurrected by Jesus.

Whether or not Dylan intended to convey all this was, at that moment, irrelevant.

I had hope.

God is present in every grain of sand, yes, and He’s also present in every moment of life, including those of our deepest despair.

And I don’t always know how He does it, but I know He’s capable of repurposing that despair into beauty.

I know I’m not the only person who needs to hear that.

Anyway, that’s just one of my reasons why “Every Grain of Sand” is my favorite song.

Give it a listen, and be blessed.

Jon

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