What Would Jesus Play?

My grandma would say, “The only hymn you need is A Mighty Fortress is our God.” It was good enough for Grandma, but it probably isn’t gonna cut it with the current Christian audience. Not to mention the secular audience.

My grandma used to say that the saxophone was the devil’s instrument. She believed that just listening to it could cause young women to completely lose control of their libido. Very frightening. Was this more of a personal confession or a verifiable fact?

My mom used to talk about the evils of Rock and Roll. Elvis Presley gyrating his hips; John Lennon misquoted as saying the Beatles were greater than Jesus; or the on-stage antics of Jimi Hendrix—what do we make of these? Jimmy Page once claimed that in the middle of guitar solos he felt as though someone else was playing. Was it the work of the devil?

I remember being a member of a church that actively encouraged its youth to melt records--yes, I’m talking about vinyl LPs...I am that old!  They were convinced of the influence of Satan in music and that even if the Allman Brothers sang “Jesus is just alright with me!” the fact that they played guitars...no ELECTRIC GUITARS...was an indication of satanic activity.

Maybe you have been in a debate or witnessed an argument regarding Satan’s activities in a particular genre of music. Or maybe you suspect that all music of a particular genre is pure and simple music from the devil. I don’t and I don’t think we should teach that it is. I believe all things that can be used for good can also be used for evil. And many things that are used for evil could be used for good. For good or ill we are inhabitants of this world and we need to take what we find and what we experience and use it for good.


Beethoven was considered by many to be “too-secular”; J.S. Bach, who over a five year period annually wrote 60 cantatas for worship, had detractors who questioned his “theological disposition”.



I am not saying that everything is okay or permissible, what I mean is we ought to be selective about that to which we expose ourselves. I’ll give you a few examples.
Some Rock and Roll songs encourage aberrant behavior: rebellion against parents, drinking, drug use or sexual promiscuity. Other songs encourage loving the environment, caring for one another, being true yourself or praising God. Is Rock and Roll good or evil? I don’t think you can make a categorically exclusive claim here. And let's face it not all rock (evil or not) is good.


LYRICS

Youch!! I think that performance needs MORE COWBELL!


Rap music that encourages abusive treatment of people (especially women) I would say is evil and destructive. Addressing people using demeaning words may be acceptable by the artist, the audience and even by the person being marginalized; but I suspect it erodes self-esteem and encourages people to believe they are lesser human beings. It works against what Jesus taught us about the treatment of those who are marginalized. But does that make ALL rap music inherently evil? No, it is bad because it is an AWFUL SOUNDING NOISE WITH AN INSIPID BEAT AND TERRIBLE VOCALIZATION. But my Grandma used to say the same thing about Rock. “It is just a bunch of noise.” Rap just isn’t my cup of tea. If you like it, more power to you.

To me, Christian praise music gives me a Mr. Misty headache. It is okay to hear a song at church, but I simply can’t listen to KTIS for more than a half hour at a time. I just can’t. To me it isn’t enough to just sing “Jesus is my pal” to a happy bouncy tune. To others, it is incredibly centering.

If it doesn’t make people turn away from God, I am willing to admit that it is good. Any music that reinforces the pathway between God and people is good music. It doesn’t mean it works for me, but if it works for you; then it is Good.