I am not sure why exactly it is that I listen to conservative Christian radio stations. I don't know how many of you out there have had the chance to listen to Hank Henegraph a.k.a. The Bible Answerman. On his show today someone called in asking if he thought it was ok for her child to listen to "christian rock music." [As an editorial point before I continue: I have no desire to examine the musical merit of "christian rock music (hereafter called CCM.) Rather, I intend to discuss methods of transmiting the Gospel.]
Hank told the caller that there are two things that are important about the music, the lyrics and the style of music. Now, I can see why it is that lyrics are important in determining if music will be a positive influence on your child. What I don't understand is why the style of music matters at all. Hank told the caller that certain kinds of music (rock and rap) are by their very nature rebelious.
What I would like someone to explain to me is how an entire genre of music has developed in such a way that the Creater of the universe is unable to speak to humans through this music. Could it be that God is unwilling or unable to reach people in rock or hip-hop? I think it is far more likely that we are unwilling or unable to listen to God speaking through rock and hip-hop. When we say that God will only speak to us, or that our worship is only acceptible to God if it takes a certain form, we are following in the ill-fated footsteps of the pharisees who were contemporaries of Jesus.
My God exists outside of time. My God is the unmoved mover. My God created all of the world in all of its splendor. The God that I serve is big enough to reach me through any type of music. My God is big enough to use chanting, be it Gregorian or old school DC Talk. My God is big enough to use candles or a 10,000 candle power data projector to draw me closer. Please Mr. Henegraph, don't try to contain my God.
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4 comments:
Bravo!
~jenni
Dave's a silly hippie
~Henry
If there's one thing I've found, it's that being conservative in terms of spiritual and religious matters doesn't work so well. God can touch us in whatever way He likes, whether it be in the typical ways or using outlets that many people consider to be terrible. For example, there's a Metallica song I like called "The Outlaw Torn." After listening to the lyrics a bit more closely, I gave it some thought, and then wrote a bit of Christian poetry using some of those lyrics. God bless and take care, and keep on writing!
-Scott
I'm not certain to what extent Hank said that both the lyrics and the style are important, but I believe that most of the time they both play a large role in just how we interpret what the music is attempting to convey.
I'm with you on lyrics -- there's a big difference between listening to "... &@$%^$!..." and "praise God!" However, don't be so quick to diminish the power of style. First, consider exactly just how style in general affects people in our culture. A great divide exists (usually) between those people that listen to classical or Gregorian music as opposed to those who listen to heavy metal or rap. When members of our culture approach these musical styles, they get a certain sense of what that music is trying to convey and certain emotions and thoughts are drawn up.
Now, it's a fairly reasonable assertion that mainline heavy metal or rap does very little to draw up emotions or thoughts that are, at the very least, positive. The style itself has become embedded in our minds as saying something other than "God is love," more often saying "I hate God." When members of our culture, particularly are youth, who are easily influenced by popular culture on the whole, hear music that they've come to associate with one pattern of expression, it becomes difficult, if only for some in a subconscious way, to enterain holy thoughts.
It is to that extent that I believe we must be careful when applying Christian text to mainline secular musical styles. Much of the classical and Gregorian styles were created with the sole purpose of prayer to God in mind. They draw us closer to God through their lyrics and also through their styles. They speak of the beauty and granduer of God and can help us to be drawn out of the secular world and into the spiritual. Using secular music, one must fight a battle to separate the style and it's effects from it's original intentions in order that we are drawn solely into what the superimposed Christian lyrics are attempting to bring us toward.
Now, don't get me wrong, There is certainly a place for all musical styles. I believe that Christian rock has done much to attract youth to the faith. It is a marvelous tactic to be able to use against the devil what is usually his domain. God can certainly speak in whatever musical style He very well choses -- in fact, He speaks in all things. But we must be careful to give ourselves, our youth especially, the best means for allowing God to speak to them. I say this not to diminish God's power, but that we recognize our fallen weaknesses as human beings. Eventually, one would hope that through attraction to Christianity through secular musical styles, listeners will be drawn deeper into a more spiritual music that not only enhances their ability to praise God through lyric in their mind, but also through their senses and the emotions that the style stirs up.
pjh
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