Reflection: Ghost Ship – Adoption

by Mark Woodhouse

“…it hits me really hard.”

So says Cam Huxford of Ghost Ship about their new song, Adoption, found on the new Costly EP.

What is it that hits him so hard? “We who are the lowest are adopted into God’s family.”

Let that sink in. I mean, really think about it. What a profound and joyful truth that is! This should hit us all just as hard as it hits Huxford! He sings this:

“We were the long discarded.

We were the weak and useless.

We needed rescue and help.”

And this we were. Hopeless, helpless, living in the grip of sin and death, we could do nothing to pull ourselves out of the spiritual gutter. But what hits Huxford so hard is that, while we were in this gutter, “a father was coming for us”.

God lifted us up.

In Jesus, God has justified us, declaring us ‘not guilty’ of our rebellion. And this new status, as people in the right with God, leads to a new relationship. We are adopted into God’s family. Christians rightly call God “Father”!

Huxford sings this:

“You adopted us in,

And you made us your own.

You adopted us in,

And you gave us a home.”

Adopted into God’s family, brought into God’s home, we are no longer the long discarded, no longer weak and useless, no longer need rescue and help! Rather, we have a loving Heavenly Father who knows what we need and provides for us (Matthew 6:25-34)!

Nothing stands in the way of God’s adoption. Not sin, not gender, not race. Huxford says, “Ephesians 3 speaks about the mystery of the gospel being revealed – and that mystery is that the Gentiles are adopted in.” God welcomes all who follow Jesus into his family!

This song makes me think about those in my community who are “the cold and starving”, “the scared and trembling”, “the desperately lost”. Being reminded of God’s ridiculously welcoming and caring love for me, I’m urged to think about whom I can try to love. For I am now a member of a family, and this family’s business is outrageous love.

Adoption is found on Ghost Ship’s Costly EP, available now on iTunes. Read our interview with Cam Huxford about the release, here.

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