He's Alive

One of the fun things about blogging is the chance to make everybody reading take a trip down memory lane with you. Of course, it's really more to my benefit than yours, but who knows?

Anyway, tonight I was listening to the classic Don Francisco song, "He's Alive." Most of you have probably heard it some time or place, even if you didn't know it. The song is told from the viewpoint of Peter in the days after Jesus' death. He talks about of the disciples gathered in the upper room, expecting to hear the sound of soldiers' feet coming after them. Then he talks of the empty tomb and ensuing puzzlement including the excellent line, "Even if He was alive, it wouldn't be the same."

And in the end, Jesus appears to the disciples and Francisco sings, "He's alive, He's alive, He's alive and I'm forgiven, heaven's gates are open wide. He's alive, He's alive." It is, in my opinion, one of the most powerful, spine-tingling songs you'll ever hear.

But back to memory lane. I was reminded of the first time I heard this song. It was third grade if my memory doesn't fail me, and I went over to my friend Preston's house for a sleepover. There were many charms to that adventure: the magnificent miniature train set in the basement would have been enough alone. We also had these really cool cap guns we played with. But at some point, I recall his family getting this Don Francisco record out -- this was post 8-track, very early cassette and pre-historic CD era -- and playing "He's Alive." It was my new favorite song, at least for a few weeks.

Along every memory lane there are also some pot holes, one of them being that some time later, Preston's dad was found guilty of essentially stealing money in a pyramid scheme.

And the irony strikes me that just as with many Biblical characters, one who knew God and, in my case, inspired faith in God, had personal flaws that he just could not overcome. I don't know which way this man's faith went since, but I know that Jesus is alive and he's forgiven, heaven's gates are open wide.