Ride

Main Point of Discussion:
Christians can find answers to the tough questions in life if we seek the gift of peace that Jesus promises His followers.

Vital Info Before You Get Started:
The following info should help you contextualize this very popular song so you can have a great discussion about it with your kids.

Twenty One Pilots are arguably one of the hottest acts in show business right now. The video for Ride has over 230 million views, and Twenty One Pilots are having one of the best years of any act in music, and things just seem to be getting better.

The alternative duo currently has two singles in the Hot 100, which is a very rare feat. By managing to have two such massive hits at the same time, the up-and-coming pairing joins some of most beloved company in history. According to Billboard, only two other rock acts in history have managed to place a pair of singles in the top five on the Hot 100 in the same week: Elvis Presley, and The Beatles. (www.forbes com)

IMPORTANT NOTE TO PARENTS: We at The Source for Parents believe that certain elements in our youth culture can serve as good discussion jump starters with students. At the same time, we would never hope to introduce students to a negative influence that they haven’t already encountered. This balance is a delicate one. In our experience most students, churched and unchurched, keep pretty current with music and music videos. Thanks to YouTube, MTV.com, and iTunes, the most popular music videos and songs are free to access only a click away.

Since this song is so popular, your kids have heard it. When you sit down to discuss this song, make sure to have a copy of the lyrics available (below) and access to the music video (which we provided in the link below, as well).

Above all, don’t appear as if you have a “canned” discussion in your head and rattle off questions like a teacher giving a pop quiz—your kids get enough of that in school. This is a guide, primarily—not a verbatim script. Just familiarize yourself with the content here and start a conversation in the most natural, unforced way you know how.

The Music Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw-0pbY9JeU

Song Lyrics:

Q: When it comes to this song, what’s “Ride” about?
A: Ride is essentially a song about the journey through life, and while at times the ‘ride’ might be easy, there are important questions we need to find answers for. The song explores themes like ‘who should I live for?’ and ‘where can I find peace’? Ride also points out that we can definitely overthink life and therefore miss out.

Q: The song seems sort of negative in parts- what is the worldview behind it?
A: Twenty One Pilots are among the more philosophical acts out there. While the references to ‘falling’ have been interpreted by some as a negative reference, the overall message is one of self-reflection about the meaningful questions in life and the search for real and lasting peace.

Q: Why is the video/song so popular?
A: This song addresses questions that represent common struggles, and it is a great metaphor for the journey of life, so a huge number of teenagers can relate to its themes and enjoy the music style.

Where to Take It from Here:
Wherever it feels natural. If these questions lead to a longer discussion on the topic, wonderful! (There’s a guide just after this paragraph that helps you do just that.) If your kids are barely uttering grunts, don’t get discouraged—the next time it feels right, try out another song. Keep engaging them.

Introducing the Music Video:
This is one of the more popular songs/videos out right now, and it brings up several critical areas of life that are worth discussing.

For Deeper Discussion: If your kids seem into diving in deeper, the following discussion guide can help take you there.

Want help getting your teenager engaged in conversation? CLICK HERE for a helpful article from our “Parenting Help” page providing you with 3 Essentials to Talking with Today’s Teens.

Transitional Statement:
(Say something like this…) All of us can relate to the feeling that life is a ‘ride’, and along the way we ask many questions to try and figure out our journey. Issues like meaning, purpose, value, and where to find peace are universal questions, but not every answer put forth by our culture or various worldviews is based on truth.

Let’s explore the song a little more deeply, and hopefully by the end of our discussion, we will all have a better vision for how to answer these questions in a way that gives us peace on our ride through life.

More Discussion Questions:

1. HAVE ALL YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS ANSWER: Before we dive in, everybody take a few minutes and talk about a memory from a road trip that you really enjoyed.
2. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: What made that road trip so memorable?
3. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: In what ways is life like a road trip? (There is a beginning, we are headed to a destination, we don’t know what will happen along the way, etc.)
4. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: What do you think it is they are getting at with these lyrics?

I’ve been thinking too much
Help me
I’ve been thinking too much
Help me

Read the following passage:

1. 1. John 14:27

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
(You can explain to the students that the context of this passage is after Jesus tells His disciples that He will be leaving this world, and because of that news, they are afraid of their future ‘ride’ and probably feeling like they are falling and thinking too much)

1. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: If we played the song ‘Ride’ for the disciples in that moment, do you think they could relate? Why or why not?
2. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: What does the culture say about finding peace?
3. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: What does the Bible say about finding peace?

(Youth Leader: The Greek word for ‘peace’ in this passage signifies a sacred gift of wholeness, health of soul, and inner tranquility)

1. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: If Jesus promises us peace as a gift, what do we need to do to receive that gift?
2. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: What is the relationship between receiving the peace that Jesus gives and answering the questions brought up in Ride?
3. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: How do Jesus’ encouragement of “do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” apply to you right now?
4. HAVE ALL YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS ANSWER: How has your view of your personal ‘ride’ through life been impacted as a result of our discussion tonight?

Wrap Up:
Viewing life as a ‘ride’ is a helpful metaphor to understand that we are on a journey that can be both amazingly happy and terrifyingly uncontrollable. However, sometimes we can get caught up in overthinking life and trying to figure out all the answers. This week, take some time to reflect on Jesus’ promise of a peace that the world simply cannot provide, and when fear and a feeling of falling creep in, ask Him to help your heart not be troubled or afraid. Here is a prayer that you can use to help remind you of the truths we explored tonight.

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.

Amen.

(Prayer attributed to Reinhold Neibuhr, 1892-1971)