In 2014, Switchfoot went on a trip around the world, looking for inspiration for their music. The result was their album “Fading West.” One of the most popular songs off the album is called “Love Alone Is Worth the Fight”.
This song has meant a lot to me, and I’d love to share it with you. Here are the first set of lyrics:
I’m trying to find where my place is
I’m looking for my own oasis
So close I can taste this
This fear that love alone erases
So I’m back to the basics
I figure it’s time I faced this
Time to take my own advice
Love alone is worth the fight
Love alone is worth the fight
These lyrics speak to me because they are not shy about exposing the insecurities inside all of us. Who am I? Where do I fit in? The answer isn’t inside us. We experience the answer when we express love and give the gift of love.
Here is the second verse:
And I never thought it would come to this
But it seems like I’m finally feeling numb to this
The funny thing about a name is
You forget what the reason you were playing the game is
And it’s all an illusion
A 21st century institution
So I’m headed down the open road unknown
It makes me wonder, am I guilty of putting a label on people before I know them? The world today is so divisive, and it seems our first impression typically forms our opinion.
What would the world look like if I loved unconditionally before I ever assumed anything? What would I believe about people if I started with a perspective of love, instead of my own personal biases? Here’s the chorus:
And we find what we’re made of
Through the open door
Is it fear you’re afraid of?
What are you waiting for?
Love alone is worth the fight.
Love alone is worth the fight.
The chorus is a simple message. Love first. It’s worth it. You’ll be fighting cultural norms, but it will be worth it. And here’s the last verse:
We’re only here for a season
I’m looking for the rhyme and reason
Why you’re born, why you’re leaving
What you fear and what you believe in
Why you’re living and breathing
Why you’re fighting and getting it even
Let’s go headed down the open road unknown
Our lives are short. In all honesty, none of us knows how long we have. Will we spend our time fighting others, or will we build a legacy of love? The choice is ours. Jesus left a model of how to love well.
Not everyone will understand why we make this choice, but in the end, the value we will give to those we love will be worth all the energy it took to get there.