Some familiar questions..
As a christian, music lover and sometimes a performer, where do I stand when I consider the songs I will sing? Does it matter if I swear on stage? Am I comprimising my core beliefs by singing secular songs blatantly opposed to what I believe is true? Or am I to enter into the spirit of performance, suck it up and get over it all? To what extent do I need to believe the words of the songs I sing?
The subject has been brought back to my mind quite sharply, by a favourite musician of mine. I often think to the songs of Frank Turner when considering all this nonsense.
The reason why we love the words to other people's songs, is because they can resonate with our own lives, who we are, what we believe and whatever situations we might be experiencing. Frank Turner seems to write about reality.
Just about half of what he writes resonates strongly with my life as twenty year old girl who loves people, music, grabbing life by it's throat and living it to pieces (his words there, not mine). Like most of my friends of all faiths and none, I seek justice, I have my views on politics, and I'm keen to see (and have at least some minor influence on) how society turns out around me. The other half of what Frank Turner writes (predominately the bits which include yelling lines such as 'definitely going to hell..etc), as a Christian I simply wholeheartedly disagree with.
The song which has brought this epic discussion to my mind is the ironicly titled 'Glory Hallelujah' which launches after a while into an enormous chorus of 'there is no God'. It's a great song, but as a follower of Jesus, there's no way I can personally justify singing this line in any context. This was an easy, quick decision and hardly surprising since there is nothing subtle about the song which is undisputedly contradictary to biblical truth, and clearly the singer's most overt expression of disagreement with the christian faith. However, I don't by any means think this song should necessarily by cited as Frank Turner's most contraversial set of lyrics when considering the claims of Christianity.
What about the track 'I still believe'? It's another good tune, a rousing chorus with words concluding 'Now who'd have thought, that after all, something as simple as rock and roll could save us all?'.
Don't get me wrong, I love 'guitars and drums and desperate poetry' (although sometimes the latter is a little angsty), but is Rock and Roll going to be the one thing which defines my entire belief system and identity? I love my dancing shoes, I love singing and making a joyful noise with the piano/guitar/accordian/violin/harp/whatever, but I can't pretend for a moment that it's this which will (in any context) save me.
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”
The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.(Acts 16.25-31)
So thank you Frank for the challenge, and for the music- I really love it. But this is what I still believe. I love Rock and Roll, but how much greater and joyful it is to know my identity is found in Christ.
And, since I haven't earned my salvation, and I don't maintain my status before God by what I do, there are indeed no rules about which songs I can and can't sing as a christian. I have a love of music, a voice given to me by God and he will graciously grow my integrity if I let him and want to put his glory above my own. I needn't worry about trying to earn the love and forgiveness of God by what I do, only ask God to help me to recognise more and more that these things are already given to me in abundance as an uncomprehendable and undeserved favour through faith in Jesus Christ who died and rose alive again. Glory, Hallelujah!
6 comments:
Great post. I've often thought about this myself :)
love what, and how you write! great stuff!
Yeah, I like Frank's music - was introduced to it by my 25 year old daughter. I also would not sing these lines, but then, there are some lines from hymns in church which I don;t sing. It does at least bring the discussion of God into the public domain.
im afraid all the points raised in this song are true and if you think about it god doesnt exist we live in the 21st century its sad that people are still living by all these rules and cant have fun!!!
I was wondering about that myself. I tend to look at Musicians as an actors in some ways. Because an actor plays a serial killer does not mean that they are advocating murder. (Anthony Hopkins for example). Also as one poster said, Frank's song brings it into the public conversation. I've met some people that have had horrible experiences with christianity. I had a friend who's mom would sit in the basement and thumb the bible all day and never leave the house. Think about the poor people that were molester by priests, the thousands of them. In Utah there are still hundreds of Polygamists who marry 13 yr old girls and throw all the young boys out of the community so there is less competition. I'm just saying not everyone has a positive experience with our religion, and maybe Frank (the punk) is just poking a big finger in the belly of organized religion, and I was also hoping that maybe he was being sarcastic, or satirical.
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