Revolution in the City - Flobots

This afternoon, after applying for jobs, and between writing a talk on Mark's gospel I've been listening to the Flobots album Fight With Tools. It won't be everyone's taste. A mixture of hip-hop, strings, rock and even some quality funk. They're playing live at my former uni tonight. I enjoy their unashamed critique of society, their energy and desire for revolution and change. They recognise the hypocricy of our leaders that we find so often and the injustice that so many people face in the world. And they're angry about it! "We are not satisfied!" "We the people do not want war!"

Flobots' music is the sort of thing you might listen to on an anarchist march as you throw a bin through the window of your local Starbucks. It's anticapitalist, anti-'war on terror', and distinctly, "grass-roots" let's get up and change this nation (in their case, the USA)!

Check out some of their tunes at http://www.myspace.com/flobots If you like the Chilli Peppers, Eminem, Audioslave, and anything with violins you'll probably find something to like here.

In many of the songs there's a desire for a hero or heroes; for someone to stand up, not be afraid of losing his reputation and to bring change and be a better leader. I don't know exactly how Flobots' understand Jesus, but they recognise that he's a better leader than the ones we know. Jesus never threw a dustbin through the window of a starbucks, but

He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. He taught them, "is it not written, "My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations?" But you have made it a den of robbers."

Jesus wasn't a communist or anti-capitalist. He wanted all people to be able to worship the living God. As he spent time with women, the sick, prostitutes, national traitors and generally the unacceptable people he angered the religious and political leaders. I often think that Jesus would probably really offend me by what he would say or do. Death to my British middle class values!

Jesus is the king and with his Father and the Spirit, he welcomes any messed-up, broken person to receive grace from him and be one of his brothers or sisters. He changes them and makes them new. Jesus is raising up a people for himself to enjoy his perfect rule. As Flobot's song, Anne Braden says, "Everyone precious in the path of Christ"

Check out the songs "Stand Up" and "We are Winning". The former talks about being motivated by the suffering we see and by "a freedom fighter bleeding on a cross for you" The lattermakes me think about what the church should be doing in the city - an insurgency of good and change! This is what the city looks like according to Flobots,

Butterfly wing crosswinds send black hawks toward hurricane survivors

Roses sprout from empty lots and sidewalk cracks

Pacifist guerrillas move undetected through concrete jungles

New forms are beginning to take shape

Once-occupied minds are activating

People are waking up

The insurgency is alive and well

Rise of the flobots

Portrait of the new american insurgent

Rattle and shake the foundation of the world order

...

We are building up a new world

Do not sit idly by

Do not remain neutral

Do not rely on this broadcast alone

We are only as strong as our signal

There is a war going on for your mind

If you are thinking you are winning

Resistance is victory

Defeat is impossible

Your weapons are already in hand

Reach within you and find the means by which to gain your freedom

Fight with tools

Your fate and that of everyone you know depends on it