IVP - Strangely Dim - March Music Madness: Between Two Lungs

March Music Madness: Between Two Lungs

Breathing is the first thing each of us learns to do. It is fundamental, even before crying or eating or sleeping or trusting other people. We must breathe if we are to live. There are many things we must do if we are to live (and yes, there is debate even over what it means to truly live), but without that first burning burst, the breath of life, none of the other requirements for living are necessary. We must breathe. It's so important, really, that we generally don't have a choice in the matter. God didn't leave it up to us to remember to breathe--he required our lungs to do all the heavy lifting for us. Probably, he knew that we'd become caught up in other things--like food or sleep or work or reading crime novels or gardening--and forget.

Even still, I sometimes forget to breathe. Or rather, I find myself holding my breath a lot. It's as though all the energy of breathing is rerouted to my brain, and my lungs play second fiddle for a while. Obviously it can't last long. The brain cannot override the lungs for long and survive. Technically, the lungs can't get along without the brain, either. Truly, it is a predicament.

The song "Between Two Lungs" by Florence + the Machine (one of my favorite artists) is my music therapy for this situation. Somehow, when breathing--along with picking up the dry cleaning and keeping appointments with friends--is forgotten, I listen to it and breathing becomes easier.