The saying “Life’s hard and then you die,” is something my mother would always say when things were hard for me or my family. ZAO—very influential in my youth—basically writes about just that: “life’s hard and then you die.” ZAO started in the early 90’s and are still around. They are considered by many to be the fathers of the metal-core scene. I am a person that has many questions about this life; there are things in the Bible that I personally have an impossible time understanding and often ask the questions “Why?” or “Is life just hard and then we die?”
ZAO never shied away from the darker side of the Bible, (i.e. genocide, murders, war, evil, etc.) One song Praise The War Machine is about the battle and genocide of the people of Jericho, and asked the question why? The album Parade of Chaos is about the hardships, unknowing, dangerous and chaotic reality we’re in, called life. Honesty towards being ok with the fact that we do not and will not have all the answers is OK, because as a believer in Jesus Christ I have faith the He will take care of me. That doesn’t mean I will live a rich, long glorious life. It does mean He has a plan for me, and it may be chaotic, dangerous or even cost me my life. Jesus in
Matthew 10:22 said “You will be hated by everyone because of Me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” In
Matthew 10:34 Jesus says “Do not assume that I have come to bring peace to earth, I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Nothing in His words sound happy or fluffy. Jesus is letting everyone know that this life is going to be hard. We can live a hard life for ourselves that ends in eternal death, or we can live a hard life now for Jesus so that we can live an eternal life with Him.” So yes life is hard, but with Jesus we don’t have to die!
John 3:16 “ For GOD so loved the world that He gave His only Son, whoever believes in Him will live forever.”
ZAO never shied away from the darker side of the Bible, (i.e. genocide, murders, war, evil, etc.) One song Praise The War Machine is about the battle and genocide of the people of Jericho, and asked the question why? The album Parade of Chaos is about the hardships, unknowing, dangerous and chaotic reality we’re in, called life. Honesty towards being ok with the fact that we do not and will not have all the answers is OK, because as a believer in Jesus Christ I have faith the He will take care of me. That doesn’t mean I will live a rich, long glorious life. It does mean He has a plan for me, and it may be chaotic, dangerous or even cost me my life. Jesus in
Matthew 10:22 said “You will be hated by everyone because of Me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” In
Matthew 10:34 Jesus says “Do not assume that I have come to bring peace to earth, I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Nothing in His words sound happy or fluffy. Jesus is letting everyone know that this life is going to be hard. We can live a hard life for ourselves that ends in eternal death, or we can live a hard life now for Jesus so that we can live an eternal life with Him.” So yes life is hard, but with Jesus we don’t have to die!
John 3:16 “ For GOD so loved the world that He gave His only Son, whoever believes in Him will live forever.”