Somewhere in outer space Spiritualized must have hit some sort of space-time wormhole.

They’ve traveled over the past twenty years from the future to the past.

While their space rock of the 90s had us all floating through the cosmos, we’re now grounded somewhere in the classic-rock era (with some traditional gospel thrown in?) in this awesome Beates/Velvet Underground-esque record.

As you’d expect from Spiritualized (and all their adopted genre’s), Sweet Heart Sweet Light has enough theological content to potentially qualify for a Dove award…. IF it weren’t so brutally honest.

The song “So Long You Pretty Thing” conjurs a lot of the feelings of forsakenness that Peter Rollins investigates in his recent book Insurrection. The focus of the book is the forsakenness of Christ on the cross (illustrated for Old & New Project by Scott Allen Hill) as one of the most fundamental aspects of the gospel message, and the single one we “Christians” seem most unwilling to acknowlege.

Radical doubt, suffering, and the sense of divine forsakenness are central aspects of Christ’s experience and thus a central part of what it means to participate in Christ’s death.

The problem is that fully embracing this is so painful, we want to avoid it altogether. Avoiding is destined to fail though, because the doubts and fear and aloneness will find you. In our attempts to focus on the positive we’re merely applying a thick layer of paint over our rusted-fender condition.

Honestly, it’s a complicated idea.. but something of which I’m attempting to be more acutely aware in my own life.

So Long You Pretty Thing

If you feel lonely

And the world’s against you

Take the long way home

Past the scary Jesus

And you’ll find

With your maybe diamonds

And you’ll feel lonely

No more

Help me Lord, help me Jesus

Cause I’m lonely and tired

Help me Lord; it ain’t easy

Cause I’m living with the blind

I got no reason to believe in anything

Help me Lord; help me Jesus

Cause I’m hurting inside

Help me Lord; it ain’t easy

Cause I’m living a lie

And God I’m hoping for a reason to be here

Help me Lord; help me Father

Cause I’m losing my mind

Help me Lord; it’s getting harder

Cause I’m losing all the time

I got no reason to believe in anymore (?)

Help me Lord; help me Father

Cause I wasted all my time

Help me Lord; it’s getting harder

Cause I’ve made a mess of mine

And God I’m hoping for the reason to be clear

So long you pretty thing (?)

God save your little soul

The music that you played so hard

On your radio

All your dreams and diamond rings

And all that rock and roll can bring you

So long… so long.