Mid-Week Music #32 - God's Own Fool

You may have already had some idea of what this week’s MWM is, if you read my Easter post. And yes, it is related to that. It is “God’s Own Fool”, by Michael Card.

Funnily enough, I think the story goes that he got into a lot of trouble with that song over the years. Some people thought it was offensive, I suppose. Not me, though—it’s one of my favourites.

There’s not much to be said that I didn’t say already in my Easter post. You could go read that if you wanted. But here’s something that may make sense of it:

“We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.” (1 Corinthians 4:10)

You see, to those who only think they are wise, we Christians seem fools. But don’t let that discourage you! Christ is wise, and we are in Him, and partake in His wisdom. So stand firm in the hope of salvation and resurrection, whether we are called foolish or wise by the world. Believe the unbelievable, and come be a fool as well.

It seems I’ve imagined Him all of my life
As the wisest of all of mankind
But if God’s holy wisdom is foolish to men
He must have seemed out of His mind

For even His family said He was mad
And the priests said a demon’s to blame
But God in the form of this angry young Man
Could not have seemed perfectly sane

(chorus)
So we follow God’s own Fool
For only the foolish can tell
Believe the unbelievable
Come be a fool as well

So come lose your life for a carpenter’s Son
For a Madman Who died for a dream
And you’ll have the faith His first followers had
And you’ll feel the weight of the beam

So surrender the hunger to say you must know
Have the courage to say ‘I believe’
For the power of paradox opens your eyes
And blinds those who say they can see

(chorus)

(chorus)
So we follow God’s own Fool
For only the foolish can tell
Believe the unbelievable
Come be a fool as well