And if you don’t believe the sun will rise, stand alone and greet the coming night in the last remaining light – Chris Cornell “The Last Remaining Light”
I was in eighth grade when I heard “Black Hole Sun” for the first time. It was a surefire hit. Being a newly minted teen perhaps helped gain my affection for grunge music; it spoke for a generation. My musical consciousness was still asleep for the most part but I knew I liked it. I remember sneaking away at friends houses to watch MTV, which at that time embraced the scene with its trademark campy coverage. While I would have occasional run ins with the music of Soundgarden throughout my life, it wasn’t until the end of my high school tenure that I truly appreciated their enigmatic and polite frontman.
It was the summer of my senior year of high school when I saw Chris Cornell live and he was definitely better than advertised. Honestly, I had forgotten about him at that point and was more interested in his backing band at the time. He had broken away from his popular act to form a super group in every sense of the word with the members of another favorite of mine, Rage Against the Machine. I have seen many acts in my time, but few of them were as captivating as the Cornell fronted Audioslave. These were musicians on top of their game and amongst the talent their lead singer stood alone. I perhaps have never seen someone who could use their voice in such an affecting manner. His presence embodied what rock music was capable of and I was blessed enough to share a moment in time with him.
Suicide is always shocking. It creeps into the spaces of our day unexpectedly and stops time with arresting abruptness. It is a shocking and confusing act but not one we are unable to relate to. As a Christ follower, we know all too well the evil in this world. It rests on shoulders too bruised to carry. Sometimes it wins. Sometimes it takes the best of us. The hurts of this world are many and worldly trinkets like respect, popularity, and wealth are too weak to keep it away. In moments like these, we pray for those afflicted with befuddled conviction. While I did not know Chris Cornell personally, music has a funny way of showing the soul of its performers and in this, they become known to many. What he did will never make sense. We cannot simply say suicide is selfish for it is much more complicated than this. It is a result of a life too difficult to manage on our own. May the God of comfort be with those who are affected.
Matt simon blog 