The Concert

Tuesday Night, after months of anxiously waiting, was the night Stacey and I finally got to see Coldplay perform in Atlanta. The concert was at the giant Philips Arena where the Atlanta Hawks and the Thrashers play. Seats over 20,000 people. The concert was sold out. It was a great show. Unbelievable show. Coldplay is band of made up of really talented and created individuals. They all played multiple instruments, they did a number of their songs in different styles than on the albums which is always a cool element in a live show. Stacey and I had a great time.

Yet, I was as intrigued by the fan base during the show, as I was by what was happening on stage. 20,000 people, for over two hours, stood and devoted their utmost attention and passion towards the stage. They clapped, danced and excitedly sang along for the entire length of the show. The entire crowd knew the lyrics to every song as well as the band! They each had paid from 50 to 400 bucks or more to be in attendance. What creates that kind of devotion?

Stacey and I were discussing this on the way home and she really helped me process that question. See, I'm a music guy and she's a lyrics girl. Combine the two and you have a great partnership. She informed me that most of Coldplay's best loved songs and lyrics have a message of hope. The crowd was embracing songs about fixing relationships, and embracing hope. Coldplay has been outspoken in the past about ending world poverty, and were even promoting a end poverty organization or movement at the end of the evening. These guys clearly are driven by hope for a better world as well.

So 20,000 people x all major U.S. and European cities equals a lot of people embracing a message of hope. The message of hope is the same one that the Christian faith contains, though a much more solid hope I believe in Jesus. So why is the church having so much trouble creating that kind of devotion? Simple, a while ago we forgot how to tell the story of hope. The church has gotten lost trying to tell you the reasons you're not going to find hope. Let's first get the message of hope in a relationship with Jesus down and then get at the underlying issues. People want to hear it, they just aren't listening to the church right now.