Bleatings from the Sheep

Music Video #2...."Bent" by Matchbox 20

While I'm here, I might as well write another entry. And while I'm watching old music videos, I might as well right about another one of those....

The second music video I'd like to write about tonight is "Bent" by Matchbox 20. For anyone unfamiliar with it, it can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vedFJV2Jb6k

This is most definitely not a Christian band, nor is it a Christian video. I think he might use one word that's slightly impolite, so if you don't wanna hear it, skip this post and move on. Oh, and I think that one character in the video mouths a cuss word. Otherwise, that's the only warning I think I need to post really.

This is one music video that I think is actually supposed to be saying something significant. It's a weird one, granted, but most tend to be. I think that it's trying to say something about humanity and how it's not so...humane, after all. First the guy gets hit by a car. Then someone robs him as he's lying on the ground. From there he gets into an argument and a fight with a random stranger. Day switches to night, and he finds himself walking down a dark alley with a man closing in on him. He runs, but the other man catches him and throws him to the ground, kicking him. And then...then, there's that one guy who tries to help him up, but he refuses his help...that part always confused me most when this video first came out. The video is pretty much over from that point.

The video "talks" a lot about the cruelty of humanity. Though it might be an exaggerated version (or maybe it isn't?) of how cold-hearted people are towards one another, the message is clear and there is some truth to it. Many people just plain don't care about what happens to others; many, even, hold negative emotions and wish bad things upon others. But then...then, there are those others who do reach out their hand to help a fallen stranger. But is there ever a time when it becomes too late? When we just become so frustrated and paranoid that we don't dare trust the kindness? When we ourselves can become so bitter that we become just as bad as those who mistreated us to begin with? I don't quite understand the "kind" man in the video, because he doesn't seem to belong. He seems so out of place, in fact, that I've often wondered if there was a clue I missed that was supposed to reveal him as another bad person. If there is, I can't find it. Either I'm clueless here (which is possible) or I myself am so used to the tragedy of the human condition by the end of the video, that I can't understand somebody rising above it. In context of the video, mind you, not necessarily in the real world.

I think that the important thing is to not give up, though. As Christians, it's our responsibility to reach out to the fallen stranger, even though it is quite likely that he will push our hands away. Perhaps, however, if there are enough of us out there, it will make a difference. If enough of us reach out in a truly honest, genuine way, then that will cause people to stop and think, and maybe even learn to trust again.

There. That's enough deep meaning for me this evening. I bid you all farewell, now! As always, let me know if you have anything to comment on this........

posted by Caitlynn @ 7:24 PM