Christy Barko

This song was inspired by a vivid word picture in a song by the group Tree by Leaf. Jesus is on the streets of New York City:

        "Hey got a light?" asks a girl, in her nightime flavor.
        With a click of her shoes on the pavement and a turn of her head.
        “Sure, don’t you know I’m all but consuming with fire?”
        “I bet you say that to all the girls” and she walks away.

The Gospel.  Our Hero.  Our God.  Our King.

Ezekiel Ch. 16, Hosea Ch. 1,2, Ephesians 5:22-33

    How would you explain to a blind person what the color blue looks like?  God has the same dilemma when he tries to teach us the truth about himself.  Our mental capacity and language is very limited when it comes to explaining the infinite things of God.  The way God reveals spiritual truths to us is by using comparisons.  The bible is full of comparisons.  Jesus taught almost strictly using parables.   He compared the Kingdom of Heaven to many things, from a mustard seed to a great banquet.
    One of the most remarkable comparisons that God uses is that of the love between a husband and a wife.  We understand that love.  We understand the pain that is caused when that love is betrayed.  This image gives us just a tiny glimpse of God’s love for us.  And God’s suffering when we are unfaithful to him.

    Ezekiel 16 paints an amazing picture of a God that gives and gives only to be rejected.  You can feel his pain as the one he loves, his bride (representing his chosen people), seeks out other lovers. Using what He has given her to catch their eyes. 
    The book of Hosea tells a similar story.  God directs his prophet to marry a prostitute so that he can experience what God is experiencing with his people.  Hosea loves Gomer.  She is unfaithful.  He persues her and brings her back to himself.  He does not give up on her.  Instead he seeks her out and brings her back home. So it is with God’s love.  His love is unfailing.  His love is a pursuing love. 

One day as I was digging through an old box of photographs I came across an envelope with a hand written poem inside. It was written many years ago by my Uncle Mike. He wrote about how much he misses living in the country when he is away, how the city can’t compare at all with the natural beauty of nature and friendship. I adapted that poem into a song.
Paulington is where I grew up. It is nestled among the foothills of the mountains in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

It is more than a location. It is also a community of neighbors and friends who care for one another and who believe in living a simple life. Paulington just happens to be the same place that my uncle was writing about.

When I was away at school I looked forward to going home. The bricks, sidewalks, pavement, and lamp posts couldn’t compare with the dirt, trees, and natural beauty of home. I realized that in the same way we cannot compare this world to the one that God has prepared for us. And in the same way I cant wait to go to that home. My real home.

Genesis 2:20-25, Genesis 24, Matthew 6:33, Hosea 2:23

I heard someone say once that you shouldn’t get into a dating relationship until you can honestly say that you would be satisfied with God alone. Until God has become first, and you are satisfied to have nothing more.