As the song goes along, it compares life to a river. Some parts of a river are shallow, while other sections run deeper. With days continually passing by, it’s easy to settle for shallow living. What might that look like? A more shallow existence could include surface-level relationships, settling for meaningless work, or just going through the motions without fully engaging with the world around you. While some people live long stretches of time in a shallow state-of-mind, I’d boldly suggest that deep down, each person has a yearning for deeper living. 

The song goes on: 

If time is a river and the river goin’ flow … Then I wanna be … I wanna be … I wanna be … Where the river runs, river runs … River runs, river runs deep

And then the second stanza essentially shares the same message with different words. It says: 

Time is a look into the age-old past … Time is a future coming way too fast … My time is something that I’ll never get back … So I wanna be … I wanna be … I wanna be … Where the living is, living is … Living is, living is deep

So what might it look like to be where the living is deep? There are so many ways to pursue a deep and meaningful life! This might come through intentional conversations, carving out time for coffee dates and connections with friends, enrolling in an in-depth Bible study, immersing yourself in a service opportunity, and the list goes on and on. Realistically, most of the things you do each day can move from shallow to deep with some purposeful planning and intentionality. Is this thought triggering anything in your mind right now? Are you thinking about some way you could move out further into deeper waters? …where life feels more fulfilling and meaningful? 

The only actual hint of Christianity found in “Where the Living Is Deep” comes toward the end, where The Gray Havens remind us that Heaven knows where the living is deep, and Heaven might become reality for any person at any given time. Read these final lyrics slowly and thoughtfully, and let them resonate within you.

First, the chorus: 

So I wanna go where the living is, where the living is … Where the living is deep … I wanna go where the living is, where the living is … Where the living is deep … Somebody show me where the living is, where the living is … Where the living is deep … Heaven knows where the living is, where the living is … Where the living is deep … I wanna go … Where the living is deep

And then, the final few lines: 

Down these waters away we go … Time is a-ticking but we’re getting real close … There’s something so much better any minute you know … I could finally be … Finally be … Finally be … Where the living is, living is … Living is, living is deep

As the lyrics say, time is a ticking, but we’re getting real close! Close to what? With every passing minute, we get closer to our own final days on earth, and we get closer and closer to Jesus’ return. (Which will come first? Nobody knows!) When Jesus comes back, heaven and earth will be restored and made new. When John, the writer of Revelation, had his visions on the island of Patmos, he wrote them down, and we get to read them in the last book of the Bible today. 

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” -Revelation 21:1-5, emphasis added

Can you even imagine what that will be like? Just think about your favorite things in the world around you or the most beautiful places you’ve visited… Now imagine a world where your absolute favorite places are 100 times better. That’s what we have to look forward to! 

There is something so much better coming your way any minute now. …because any minute now, you could finally be where the living is deep. Wow. While I certainly aim for deep living even now while I’m still alive and breathing here on earth, I also greatly look forward to the day when my living will be perfectly and fully complete. Our ultimate time of deep living is coming, when He will dwell among us tangibly and visibly. I cannot wait. 

But in the meantime, I wanna live where the river runs deep right here in my little corner of the world. ♥️