Liz Liew, who is doing a music degree at City University, London, tells how a track by Rick Hordinski and Linford Detweller impacted her life.

Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist

it was a cold, wet December evening and I was stuck at home by myself in a large, grotty four-bed roomed house in Hackney. I was in one of my anti-social moods. I was supposed to go out clubbing with some friends but I really couldn't be bothered. I didn't have the energy and I didn't fancy getting smoked over.

"Great way to spend a Friday night," I thought to myself glumly. I was miserable and wrestling with God about why some men were such slimy, manipulative slobs (well, three in particular!). I flipped on the TV to find nothing even remotely interesting. So I went up to my room, rummaged through my vast collection of CDs and tapes and slammed on Over The Rhine's 'Patience'. The first two lines particularly struck me: "I painted my name on a bridge today In black and white and red and grey..."

i mentally switched off for the rest of the song - the lyrics were too arty for me to understand. The lyrics weren't overtly Christian (and anyway, why should they be?) but God really spoke to my heart through those two lines that evening. To me the lines were asking me if I was "painting" God's name on the hearts of my non-believing friends at Uni. Was I setting a good example, portraying Christ in my everyday action? I cringed as I remembered an argument I had earlier with one of my flatmates about my heater. Maybe it was his fault (which it most definitely was!) but I didn't exactly handle it well.

"Lord, please forgive me," I silently prayed. "I should have bit my tongue and swallowed it!" I smiled as I remembered the way I screamed and screeched at my flatmate. Not exactly a good Christian witness. Maybe I should...apologise??

"No way, Lord," I argued, "not in a million years. It was his fault anyway - he said so himself!" But the Lord saw differently: "You must apologise."

A couple of evenings later I mustered all the strength and courage I could to take me through what seemed to me to be one of the most tedious experiences of my life. I took a couple of deep breaths before entering the lounge. I was relieved to find that his mates weren't there, so I could get it over and done with.

"Quentin, I'm sorry for shouting at you." There, I'd said it. He stared at me long and hard, deeply inhaled his spliff and surrounded himself with a huge cloud of putrid smoke. I wrinkled my nose in disgust.

"That's okay," he said cheerfully. I could have hit him - the cheek of it! "You really shouldn't have got so wound out about it - I nicked your heater, burnt it out completely - so what's the big deal?" "Yeah right," I thought to myself, and walked out before I could get really annoyed.

A while later Quentin told me he thought I was one of the nicest people he knew. That was a start. Maybe I am beginning to show God's love.

Since then the opening lines of this song have helped me remember not to give up in the Christian life. As Christians we should maintain friendships with non-believers, socialise with them, and be their true friends so we can show them God's love.

One of my other flatmates remarked that he was surprised that I was a Christian -I actually looked trendy and could relate to him - I didn't fit the stereotypical image of a square weirdo who wore steel-rimmed glasses, sandals and who only ever uttered the words 'Jesus loves you'. In order to gain their respect and friendship we have to show that we weren't born in another century, on another planet and that, contrary to popular belief, we are actually normal (well, most of us are!). If we want to win them we have to show genuine love and concern and to remember we're not of this world but in it. In the words of Matthew 5:16, "...your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven." We all face major problems in our lives but we have a hope - Jesus who is always there to help us, no matter what.

I PAINTED MY NAME
Words and music by Rick Hordinski and Linford Detweller
I painted my name on a bridge today
In black and white and red and grey
You know it's really not far away
From the banks of the river
Where the president used to play

I put it up high above the rocks below
It's sheltered from the wind and the rain and snow
You know the bridge where we used to go
Our childish trolls and freaks and giant demons
Sunday I hope you might come by
On a big white boat with the sails up
high
Sunday I hope that you'll be true
To all it is I see in you

Yes strange enough I'm still in love with you
And so it seems there's work to do
I've got my bow and arrow and a Barlow blade
Come dawn I want to ride in your brigade

Sunday I hope you might come by
On a big white horse in the big white sky
Sunday I know we'll reconcile
Down by the river we'll dream awhile
Down by the river we'll sing awhile
Down by the river we'll play awhile
Down by the river we'll cry awhile
Down by the river we'll dance awhile
Down by the river just you and I

© MCA Music Ltd. Reprinted with permission