Reflection - dc Talk's In the Light (1996)

Jesus Freak: In the Light (1996)
I was cleaning out one of my old offices and found an old CD: dc Talk's Jesus Freak album. Funny how you find things when your not looking for them.

One of my favorite songs is in this album. It's called In the Light and the song brings back some good old lessons that I think is worth sharing. I especially found this particular verse very instructing...

The disease of self runs through my blood
It's a cancer fatal to my soul
Every attempt on my behalf has failed
To bring this sickness under control

dc Talk when they made this song, wanted to express their desire "to be walking in the light of our Lord Jesus". The song everytime I heard it on the radio or in a CD player, kept me in check, that despite all of what I have learned on this earth, I'm still lost without God and anytime I'm bent on using my own understanding, especially with my ego, I tend to make mistakes.

Historical context, analogy, and practical application
The analogy of being "in the light" comes from biblical texts like John 8:12, John 12:35-36,46. In these conversations, roughly 2,000 years ago, Christ said to His disciples that He is the "light of the world" to help everyone lost in the "darkness". He also stated those in darkness were ignorant of where they were going.

Those that heard Christ lived in an era with no electricity and street lights. They clearly understood this illustration. They also understood the concept since a thousand years prior to Christ, King David wrote about God's teachings being a guide in their lives. David wrote in Psalms 119:105 that "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path".

This song always reminded me to look back into biblical truths and principles. For one thing, to actually open the Bible and read what those truths are. :-)

VERSE 1:
I keep trying to find a life
On my own, apart from You
I am the king of excuses
I've got one for every selfish thing I do

Tell me...
What's going on inside of me?
I despise my own behaviour
This only, serves to confirm my suspicions
That I'm still a man in need of a Saviour

CHORUS:
I wanna be in the Light
As You are in the Light
I wanna shine like the stars in the heavens
Oh, Lord be my Light and be my salvation
Cause all I want is to be in the Light
All I want is to be in the Light

VERSE 2:
The disease of self runs through my blood
It's a cancer fatal to my soul
Every attempt on my behalf has failed
To bring this sickness under control

Tell me...
What's going on inside of me?
I despise my own behaviour
This only serves to confirm my suspicions
That I'm still a man in need of a Saviour

CHORUS:
I wanna be in the Light
As You are in the Light
I wanna shine like the stars in the heavens
Oh, Lord be my Light and be my salvation
Cause all I want is to be in the Light
All I want is to be in the Light

BRIDGE:
Honesty becomes me
[There's nothing left to lose]
The secrets that did run me
[In Your presence are defused]
Pride has no position
[And riches have no worth]
The fame that once did cover me
[Has been sentenced to this Earth]
Has been sentenced to this Earth

Tell me, what's going on inside of me?
I despise my own behaviour
This only serves to confirm my suspicions
That I'm still a man in need of a Saviour

CHORUS:
I wanna be in the Light
As You are in the Light
I wanna shine like the stars in the heavens
Oh, Lord be my Light and be my salvation
Cause all I want is to be in the Light
All I want is to be in the Light

I wanna be in the Light
As You are in the Light
I wanna shine like the stars in the heavens
Oh, Lord be my Light and be my salvation
Cause all I want is to be in the Light
All I want is to be in the Light

About dc Talk
dc Talk is a four time Grammy Award winning Christian music group. The group formed around 1988, consisting of Toby McKeehan, Michael Tait, and Kevin Max Smith. They have released five major studio albums together: DC Talk (1989), Nu Thang (1990), Free at Last (1992), Jesus Freak (1995), and Supernatural (1998).

I saw them a few years back on a WAY-FM music tour in Fort Myers, FL. They are probably one of my all time favorite music groups because of:

1. Their music and meaningful lyrics.
2. Their ability to win secular industry awards (Grammys) that helped highlight the strength and creativity of Christian contemporary artists.
3. Their achievements brought record companies to further study and invest in the Christian music industry.

Travel Review: Lakawon Island Resort, Philippines

RATING: * (1 out of 5 stars, poor)
Phone: +(63) 34 433-0808 / +(63) 34 434-7737 (To dial from U.S., 011-63-34-433-0808)
Web site: N/A
Price: $20/night USD (May 2009)

Review

Pro

The beach. Lakawon's beach is pleasant. During the day time, if you don't mind a couple of stray dogs walking about, the beach itself is enjoyable. Roughly 3 of the 15 hectares on the island is part of the "resort". Volleyball and swimming are common activities. You may find weekend visitors coming in with their own boats and jet skis, though the resort does not offer any rentals. At night, there is no bar scene (perfect for families) and the sky had a clear view of the stars ... a nice and romantic evening ... until the kids from the squatters village blew up fireworks besides us.

Adventure. The drive to the resort from Bacolod City's Lacson St. brings you to towns like Talisay, Silay, Victorias and finally Cadiz. There's a few Spanish era buildings in those towns and each one has their own specific customs and festivals. Restaurants along the route offer fresh sea foods as most of the towns are near the coastline. You could have a few side trips that make the drive worth it!

Con

Air conditioning. Prepare to sweat. There's air conditioning in the lodges but it depends on a generator. Supposedly the schedule starts around 5pm, but due to issues with the generator, it didn't turn on till around 8pm. It abruptly ends around 7am in the morning.1 star off.

Critters. The lodges are surrounded by ant hills, mosquitoes, and spiders. There are no mosquito nets; hence, if you have young children -- do not bring them with you as you will not sleep. You will have to literally kill the bugs off their face. 1 star off.

Room service. No phone system. If you need room service, you have to find someone near the restaurant. Since they do not wear uniforms -- you may be asking a total stranger.1 star off.

Cleanliness. While the island boasts 15 hectares, roughly 12 hectares are filled with squatters. You cannot just simply take a stroll on the beach as you will start seeing small squatter areas with bottles and trash lying around. Plumbing is unorthodox. The sink drips into a hole which drips into a trash bin. 1 star off.

Location/Directions
Lakawon Island is a 20 minute boat ride north of Negros Island. Roughly 15 hectares in size and shaped like a banana, you can walk around the island's entire circumference in a few hours.

To get here, you have to fly to Manila, Philippines (MNL) then to Bacolod, Philippines (BCD), a city located on Negros Island. Taking a taxi or rental car from the airport to this resort and vice versa will cost you $100 USD total for the round trip. Using public transportation like a Ceres bus will cost you less than $20 USD round trip. The time to travel will take roughly 1 hour by private car/taxi, and 2 hours by bus, depending on how many passengers they pickup along the way!

Accomodations/Activities

Beach

Swimming, snorkeling

There are air conditioned lodges from 7pm-7am. (If generator has fuel.)

Please note there is no television or Internet connection on any of these rooms.

Room service available generally up to 10:00 PM.

Bar/picnic area

To note: If you must absolutely have Internet (like me), I have been able to utilize a popular pre-paid Internet service by Smart called SmartBro. It is USB device that connects your laptop to GPRS/3G cell towers. Expect dial-up speeds though they advertise otherwise. Its $45 USD for the device and about $0.50 USD/hour.