Love Alone is Worth the Fight

I've been playing Switchfoot's new Fading West album rather non-stop since I got it last week. I'm taking my wife to see them in concert next month so I need to be prepared to fully sing along. Though my favorite Switchfoot album to date is Vice Verses, this record is growing on me.

"Love Alone is Worth the Fight" is the first single off the album and has a great official video that captures the spirit of the song. The whole album and accompanying film narrates the band's story of moving to California to pursue music and surfing. This opening song--mixed with sounds that someone else can explain and that's also easy to sing along with (oh-oh-oh)--offers an effective lift off to the Fading West journey.

As I probe "Love Alone" a bit more, the band seems to be talking about more than a mere quest to surf, strum, and sing; but rather a desire to live ("we're only here for a season, looking for the rhyme and reason"). The obstacles to love and life are largely fear ("is it fear you're afraid of, what are you waiting for?"). This involves risk and surely the group took a big risk in attempting to make their living in music. Of course, Switchfoot journeys as a band in community; so it's living and loving in community with friends that seems pretty central to who they are.

As I listen, I hear some promises from Jesus and the Scriptures playing in the background. Regarding the invitation to life, our Lord said, "I came that they might have life and have it abundantly" (John 10:10). To this John, one of his closest followers, added,  "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us" (1 John 4:18-19 ESV; see more 1 John 4:7-17).

Good song. If you've not heard it yet, have a listen.