‘Flush The Fashion‘ is Alice’s twelfth studio album. Released in 1980, it falls under an umbrella of genres from Rock, Hard Rock, to New Wave. With a mixture of sarcasm and some story-based songs, the album still delivers a Cooper-based vibe and feel with songs such as: “Talk Talk”, “Clones (We’re All)”, “Model Citizen”, “Grim Facts”, and “Headlines”. All of which will likely be covered, at some point, in this blog.

“Pain“, a song regularly performed on the 2017 ‘Spend The Night With Alice Cooper’ tour, deals with a wide range of all agony and grief presented to mankind. Describing all types of pain – psychological, physical, and emotional, this song serves as a reminder of the anguish and sorrow this world holds. Unfortunately, there is no all-encompassing answer to the reason for suffering in this life. No cut and dried resolution as to why we go through trials and tribulations during our time here. However, the questions left unanswered about pain are met head on by our Lord, who comes to us in the midst of our suffering. In fact, He took up our pain and bore our suffering, eternally healing us by His wounds, death, and resurrection (Isaiah 53:4-5).

Have you ever noticed the Bible plays out as four acts in a play? Those parts being: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration. Think about how infatuated humanity is with that storyline. We expect to see those elements in almost every piece of literature, play, or production we encounter. It’s as if, our Creator has inherently programmed us all to know and follow that storyline. However, He’s added that extra element of freewill. Freewill which gives us the opportunity at Redemption. The most important choice we must make – accepting Christ’s gift on the Cross, in turn calling Him Lord. That choice redeems our soul and places us on the path to Restoration. This post is part of a three-part post dealing with the last three acts: Fall, Redemption, and Restoration.

The Fall. The Struggle. The Battle. The ‘Pain’. Ultimately, these things, the futility of it all, entered the picture with the ‘original sin’. The Fall of humanity (Genesis 3:1-8). But Alice goes on to address other forms of discomfort and agony as well. Discussing the down and dirty of humanity – the way we experience and/or deal with pain. The ‘ache in the belly’, ‘the burnin’ sensation’, ‘lines on the face’, ‘reds by the bed’, ‘holes in the arm’, and so on. We’ve done a masterful job of embracing pain and doubling down on it. Refusing to deal with it mentally and spiritually with our Lord, we instead allow the large and small things to add up. Like a massive sledgehammer to the head or death by a thousand pricks of the needle, we find ourselves at the mercy of pains sting throughout a good portion of our life. Some pain we choose, some we don’t. But it is a constant, equalizing force on humanity – but the response to it defines our eventual fate.

There are multiple examples of suffering and despair in the Bible. Stories from the book of Job, the book of Ecclesiastes, and the Lamentations (of Jeremiah) are saturated with stories of despair and longing. They ultimately point to God’s creation turning away from Him and His ways. Casting damnation upon themselves for refusing to obey Him instead turning their backs on Him and His teachings. But let’s look at pain through the prism of the Psalms. Through the eyes of David in Chapter 13. In verses 1-2, he says:

¹How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
²How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
And day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?

David’s pain is profound. We often find him claiming that God was slow to act on his behalf. *Do you feel this way? Are you staggering along in pain? Waiting for the Lord to deliver you?* Ultimately, David perseveres. He knows God. He knows that God is faithful. He knows that His timing (no matter how long) is perfect. He continues waiting on God’s unfailing love, rejoicing in the salvation he’s been given (Verse 5). But this struggle is one of the toughest aspects of our time spent here. Our own personal sufferings. Watching those around us suffer. The sad state of the world. The list goes on. Proper perspective must be applied but it’s not easy. We must know that the pain on this earth is fleeting. It too will pass. However, the real question lies in whether or not that pain will continue in eternity or find you wrapped in His healing arms instead. Will you be condemned to death or will you find healing in His embrace – forever with Him in Paradise?

C.S. Lewis may have said it best when he claimed, “The full acting out of the self’s surrender to God therefore demands pain: this action, to be perfect, must be done from the pure will to obey, in the absence, or in the teeth, of inclination.” It’s as if, God wants to know we are serious about our faith. Are we willing to walk with Him no matter what? Through the good, the bad, and the ugly? The Psalms give multiple instances where David finds himself trapped in the cycles of life. The peaks and valleys so to speak. It would seem that life is always in one of three phases: before, during or after a storm. While pain may seem an unnecessary evil, it’s actually where we often experience the most growth. Leaving us stronger, restored people in the process. Without it would we really want or seek to know Him more?

Concluding this week’s post, the topic is ‘Pain’ but the focus is perseverance. A good amount of the human condition dwells in self-inflicted pain. For example, look at David and his follies. Though highly regarded by both God and humanity, David carried some pretty significant flaws as well. He was a murderer, a womanizer, and a poor father, and through his sins and shortcomings he also brought a certain amount of disgrace to Israel as well. In short, he caused a great deal of pain for himself and to others. However, scripture clearly attests to God’s love for David – calling him ‘a man after My own heart’ (Acts 13:22; 1 Samuel 13:14). God cared most about his heart – who he was at his very core. He saw David’s commitment and perseverance to his faith as being more important. The unfortunate truth is that this life will always contain a certain amount – and level of – pain. Some is self-inflicted, some we cause others, some we have no control over. Nevertheless, we do have control over our response to it. Perseverance is the key, yet we must first latch on to the redemption of the cross and then to the restoration through His spirit. That’s where we find the strength and power to persevere. It’s not something we can do on our own. It’s something we must seek and accept.

Tune in next week for humanity’s response to pain. One of two paths – Rejection or Redemption.