John Mark McMillan - Mercury & Lightning Lyrics
Lyrics
I've been chasing God
I've been chasing Mercury and lightning
I've been pressing hard
I've been coming up short
Lately I've been thinking about
What's going to happen with you and I
I need a new religion
Or I need a new lie
I've been on the phone
I've been chasing Mercury and lightning
Pressing for the deal to close
I've been coming up short
Lately I've been thinking about
What's going on between you and I
I need a true religion
Or I need a new lie
I swear I've heard the echoes of a voice
Like a dream that you feel but you don't remember
I've known it ever since I was boy
Like a word on the tip of my tongue
I swear I've heard the echoes of a voice
Like a dream that you feel but you don't remember
I've known it ever since I was boy
Like a word on the tip of my tongue
Lately I've been thinking about
What's going to happen with you and I
I need a new religion
Or I need a new lie
Video
John Mark McMillan - "Mercury & Lightning" (Official Music Video)
Meaning & Inspiration
John Mark McMillan’s "Mercury & Lightning," released on September 1, 2017, as the title track from his album, stands as a profound exploration of spiritual wrestling and the often-exhausting pursuit of the divine. From the outset, the song plunges into a raw, honest confession of striving: "I've been chasing God / I've been chasing Mercury and lightning / I've been pressing hard / I've been coming up short." This vivid imagery immediately captures the essence of a faith journey marked by relentless effort and repeated disappointment. "Mercury and lightning" represent the elusive, the uncontrollable, and the ultimately ungraspable through sheer human will. Like trying to bottle a storm or hold liquid silver, the metaphor brilliantly articulates the futility of attempting to force spiritual connection or understanding through our own strength. It echoes the sentiment found in Isaiah 55:2, where the prophet asks, "Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?" The feeling of "coming up short" resonates with anyone who has earnestly sought God, only to feel their efforts fall short of true communion or lasting peace, reminding us that even our most fervent striving can be a "striving after wind" if not rooted in grace.
This weariness escalates into a stark spiritual crisis, articulated in the lines, "I need a new religion / Or I need a new lie." This isn't a casual questioning, but a desperate cry from someone at a spiritual crossroads. The initial longing for a "new religion" in the first verse shifts to a need for a "true religion" in the second, highlighting a deeper hunger not for novelty, but for authenticity. The alternative—a "new lie"—reveals the profound exhaustion that can lead one to consider abandoning truth altogether for the comfort of deception. This tension speaks to the fragile state of faith when genuine connection feels absent, a poignant reflection on the human tendency to seek solace anywhere, even in unreality, if truth proves too demanding or elusive. It reminds us of the critical choice between settling for counterfeit spirituality or pressing into the genuine, as highlighted in John 14:6, where Jesus declares, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life," positioning Himself as the ultimate "true religion" that satisfies.
Yet, amidst this wrestling, a powerful undercurrent of hope emerges. The song’s turning point is the deeply affecting recognition: "I swear I've heard the echoes of a voice / Like a dream that you feel but you don't remember / I've known it ever since I was a boy / Like a word on the tip of my tongue." This profound passage speaks to an inherent, almost primal, awareness of the divine that transcends conscious striving or intellectual pursuit. It’s the persistent whisper of God, a foundational truth imprinted on the human soul, felt rather than fully comprehended, a memory from deep within. This resonates powerfully with Romans 1:19-20, which states that "what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse." It’s the echo of a Creator speaking through creation, through conscience, and through the quiet spaces of our earliest memories. This isn't about conjuring God through effort, but recognizing His enduring presence that has always been there, just out of conscious grasp.
Ultimately, "Mercury & Lightning" offers a compelling narrative for those who feel spiritually adrift or exhausted by their efforts to "catch" God. It reassures us that the divine voice, though sometimes faint, is not absent; it has been speaking to us "ever since I was a boy." The song gently redirects our focus from the futility of chasing elusive spiritual experiences through sheer will to resting in the inherent knowledge and persistent presence of God. It’s an invitation to shift from a religion of striving to one of recognition, acknowledging that sometimes, the "true religion" is found not in what we desperately grasp for, but in the echoes of a voice we've known all along, patiently waiting for us to remember and respond. This journey from anxious pursuit to quiet remembrance serves as a powerful reminder that rest in Christ, as promised in Matthew 11:28, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest," is often found not in relentless chasing, but in discerning the subtle, constant presence of the divine voice that has always been calling.