I have been reading the "Clay's Artistic Growth" thread lately. Everyone has an opinion about Clay's...well everything. So I thought that I would share one of mine.

What follows mainly comes from the occupational hazards of my call. I, like others, have wanted Clay to write his own songs...and it seemed to make sense that his UNICEF experiences would be rich fodder in which to play around. After I had listened to Lover All Alone for about a month it finally hit me. What I hear in the lyrics could possibly come from those very experiences.

Get ready...occupational hazard ahead...I had a vision that these words could be the words of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemene as he ponders that state of humanity and this world...as Jesus reflects on the love he gives in his life that goes untouched by those he reaches out to. Jesus has this deep desire to love and be loved. Jesus knows of all that we can have in him, and are missing because of our arrogance.

Supposing Clay is a man of deep faith and is one who feels and thinks just as deep, how could he not be moved by the heartache he experienced? Supposing Clay desires a world that is healed and whole. It seems natural to me that the Spirit took him to that place and brought him out again with these words to tell of the longings of God.

For me, Lover All Alone is not about human love...it is about something more profound...the heartache of God.

You have moved past the occupational hazards (for now)...did you survive?