our ep, our city and our God

In our album "Springfield, Ohio" the lyrics of the songs speak of hope dancing on the horizon, Springfield becoming a champion city again, a lion moving in the streets (not just in the church buildings) and bricks being repaired in the ruined city walls. In some ways I think people have thought that our songs are very blunt and are speaking of this wide spread super charged revival coming out of the clouds. But our songs are speaking of very practical change coming in a maybe unexpected, yet powerful way! We speak of revival, but using the word for what it really means. Re-vive. Like a fresh renaissance or a renewal in business, maybe an awakening in the arts. Fill in the blank with what you're passion is. Sometimes you have to use extreme language to describe simple truths. Metaphorical lingo can at times paint very vivid imagery. In Beautiful Place we sing: "Love rises in Springfield, Ohio to wash away the hate. Disappointment palls as destiny calls and hope inflates. And all things old are made new and all things dead are breathed into and the past is being over taken by the future." It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see the economic struggle in Springfield. If you look around you can see the depression or oppression. Or just take a simple walk through the Heritage Center museum and you can tell that things aren't as they used to be. But it will take a bunch of bright, amazing people full of creative, visionary ideas to see Springfield transformed. I think we already have those people in our city. I think our keys to change and our tide turners are right under our noses. In some ways I have forgotten what our own songs are all about. But I see the hope dancing on the horizon again. I see it in places like "Running With Scissors" and "Fair trade winds"! I see a visionary chamber of commerce with the opening of the "Champion City" store off of Limestone. I see creativity exploded. The lion really is moving in the streets. As we sing: "I've seen a lion walking Limestone St. Yeah, I've seen him walking around. And I've seen him in the faces of the people I meet and he's moving into town." The Lion in this song is clearly a picture of God. Taken from C. S. Lewis or even from descriptions in the bible of Jesus as the Lion from the tribe of Judah. A lion walking in the streets of our city could appear to be bad news. But this lion is nothing but good news. If God walks down our streets winter turns to spring, death turns to life, and creation explodes on the scene! God is the most creative being in the universe! He's the most visionary, he has all the best ideas and he has more money then Bill Gates. ha ha God will express himself through you and me! God is reviving this city through the men and women who occupy it. With that said keep dreaming! Support other people's dreams! Look at what we do have in this City! Invest in what we already have rising!

- Micah Level