Lyric For The Day 23.9.11 from New Test Leper by REM



“I can't say that I love Jesus
that would be a hollow claim.
He did make some observations
and I'm quoting them today.
"Judge not lest ye be judged."
what a beautiful refrain.
The studio audience disagrees.
Have his lambs all gone astray?”

-       From New Test Leper

News of REM’s break up this week has caused much conversation on the social networks. This would be one of my favourite REM lyrics. I came late to the party and as with always it too my good friend David Dark to encourage me to look again. Sometimes I felt that you had to look a little too hard to find the depth in the lyric; there was more about dragonflies than about God!

I started looking again when New Adventures In Hi-Fi came out and Jesus gets his mention here. I love this lyric. I love it when those who don’t believe in Jesus still see the wisdom of his genius. I would always suggest to the atheist or agnostic who has struggled with the transcendent spiritual mysterious aspect of belief to still follow Jesus because he has given the best advice, the best blue print for humans to live by; which makes you wonder where he got his special insight from!