Now, today, I'm going to be sharing the story behind my song, "Relentless," from the worship recording, "Sanctuary." The story behind this song is so personally encouraging to me that I wanted to share it with you. It came to me on March 2, 2009 after watching a movie that left me sobbing in the theater.
A film that has really resonated with me on a deep, emotional level is the 2009 masterpiece, "Slumdog Millionaire." From the moment the opening credits rolled and that pulsing, rhythmic score filled the theater, I was absolutely captivated by the story unfolding before me.
As I sat there, I could practically feel the oppressive heat and gritty energy of the bustling Mumbai slums where the film is set. The sights and sounds were so vividly rendered - the crowded, winding alleyways, the cacophony of voices and honking horns, the glimpses of vibrant colors amidst the urban decay. And at the heart of it all was the story of Jamal, an orphaned young man whose unwavering determination to reconnect with his childhood love, Latika, just pulled me in completely.
The way their relationship was portrayed, the bittersweet ebb and flow of their lives intertwining and then being torn apart - it was all so powerfully emotive. And when Jamal finally finds Latika again as an adult, scarred from the trauma she's endured, her face disfigured, his immediate, instinctive response to kiss her scar…the place of her greatest pain and source of shame…it just broke my heart open in the most beautiful way.
As I watched that scene unfold, I was suddenly struck by the parallel to my own relationship with the Lord. Just like Jamal found Latika, I didn't find God - He found me. I was the lost one, the wounded one, and yet His love pursued me relentlessly, even when I tried to turn away. That realization hit me with such force, it was almost overwhelming.
I could see so clearly the many times in my own life where God had come after me, refusing to let me go, loving me through my scars and brokenness with a grace that was truly unfathomable. His relentless passion, His unwavering commitment to redeeming me - it was all there on display in that simple, poignant gesture between Jamal and Latika.
It was in that moment that the song "Relentless" was born in my heart. I knew I had to capture that essence, that all-consuming love that refuses to be denied, and weave it into the tapestry of my album, "Sanctuary." Because that's the kind of love that transforms lives, that leaves an indelible mark on the soul.
This film gave me a big picture point of view of the reality of the fact that God has always been pursuing me and has never stopped in that pursuit. His love is truly relentless.
"Slumdog Millionaire" is the kind of cinematic experience that burrows its way deep into your being, awakening something profound within you. The way it speaks to the resilience of the human spirit, the power of unconditional love to heal even the deepest wounds - it's the stuff that great art is made of. And I'm forever grateful that it crossed my path, inspiring me to dig deeper into my own creative well and give voice to the relentless, redemptive love of God that never stops pursuing us.
Luke 19:10 says it like this:
"For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Dennis Jernigan
To hear The Dennis Jernigan Podcast version of this blog and to hear the song, go to https://www.patreon.com/posts/relentless-113541275
Photo courtesy of https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=6590bfce35d1c64e&q=pictures+from+Slumdog+Millionaire&udm=2&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjw05CuzoGJAxVT4ckDHa-7BNgQnN8JegQILhAD&biw=1574&bih=895&dpr=2#vhid=2MjPCVF1Ys8leM&vssid=mosaic