This was an English-paper-turn-rant that I had to write recently. I thought I'd share it with you guys. I hope it doesn't offend anyone!
Music affects us: this we have already clarified. We know that culture has been constantly changing over the years, and with it: the music. But maybe it’s the other way around. If the music has been constantly changing over these many years, the culture would change with it, would it not?
Taste in music changes over time. You can begin your love of music with country, meld into rock, then go to indie, then wind up liking dubstep. Is it not the same with culture? Does not culture change from one thing to another and repeat the process all throughout time? America today is nothing like the America the pilgrims founded back in the 1600’s.
Perhaps the call of a Christian musician is to meld the popular music into something that can eventually lead the populace to God. But how could that be managed? When a song directly preaches about God, it’s rarely liked. Even Christians themselves can find the songs annoying, despite the good message in the lyrics. It’s musicians like Sufjan Stevens who are the best examples for the point I’m trying to make. Sufjan Stevens is a Christian musician. But do you know that from his songs? If you don’t take into account his Christmas album, many people probably wouldn’t know he’s a Christian. It’s because he hides his faith while he shouts it through his lyrics. Sufjan Stevens went about his songwriting in a brilliant way. Maybe his music doesn’t appeal to your taste, but hidden in the lyrics are Christian messages. Slipped into songs like ‘Jacksonville’ are lyrics like so: “The spirit is here and the spirit is fine!” Maybe, to be the most effective in preaching our faith, we need to be discreet.
Catchy songs stick in your head, right? Then you eventually have to go find out the lyrics so you can at least sing the song rather than wear yourself out with humming or whistling. It’s about time a Christian song with a Christian message was the catchy song getting stuck in people’s head. But if that message is slipped in secretly, it will affect the listener without their outright opposition to the song due to its obvious faith.
But isn’t that deception? Would that not be going against the Bible? Proverbs 12 states, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord.” Maybe hiding the meaning behind your lyrics isn’t directly lying, but it’s to the same effect. Men hiding their true intentions hasn’t really turned out well in the past; who’s to say it would this time? Hitler hid his intentions when he was campaigning for fuhrer (or whatever the term is), as did Julius Caesar. Hitler killed thousands of people, and Julius Caesar was assassinated because of suspicions about his rise to power.
We’re not Hitlers. We’re not Caesars. Proverbs 12 ends the verse by saying that those who act in faithfulness to God are a delight to Him. Even if it really would be considered deception, if it’s for God’s glory would it not then be a delight to Him? If this so-called ‘deception’ turns non-believers to God, is not the action then justified? If God is glorified through a simple hidden lyric, is that still a deception worthy of rebuke? No. God deserves glory. God deserves the glory given to him in song. No-one ever became a believer because they lost an argument, but people can be turned through a simple lyric. Through a simple phrase, a belief can be turned.
It is the job of a Christian to bring good to the world and the light to those who are in darkness. It is the job of a Christian musician to do the same through music. Can secular music still be regarded as good? What defines ‘secular’? According to the dictionary, secular means “of or pertaining to worldly things or to things that are not regarded as religious, spiritual, or sacred.”
Music can still preach a good message without being directly related to religion. How? There is good in the world that can be told about without strictly talking about religion. I’m not saying it’s not in the parent’s place to restrict their children from listening to secular music, I’m just saying maybe they shouldn’t. There is plenty of music that should not be listened to, especially by young Christian boys and girls. There should be a filter set over the music of Christian boys and girls, but how can anyone make truly good music without seeing what they’re writing under the pressure of? The culture has gone so far downhill that it’s hard to write a good song with a good message. The only way to spread a Christian message in music is through discretion. If our job is to bring light to those living in darkness, the only way to do so is through music, and the only effective way to do that is through ‘deceit’, then maybe it’s our call to be deceitful for the glory of God.
To be continued...
Song quote of the post:
"And in my best behavior I am really just like him. Look beneath the floor boards for the secrets I have hid."
-Sufjan Stevens, "John Wayne Gacy, Jr.
Scripture verse of the post:
"Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory."
Psalm 98:1
