Bite Your Tongue and Clean Your House

"Are you the one that's come to set me free?

'Cause if you knew who I am, would you really want to die for me?

They say you are the cursed man, the one who hangs from this tree

I know this is the one and only son of God but tell me, who the fuck is he?

So tell me!"

These lyrics had you.  You were invested.  You knew the singer was talking to someone about Christ hanging on the cross.  But then you read that one word.  That single word will forever trip you up.  And any band using that kind of word certainly isn't a band you need to listen to.  Any, "good christian," won't listen to music with that word in it.

"I throw caution to the wind and suck your sweet poison,

Your body's everything, your body's everything.

As I trip on my desire I dive into your fire,

Your body's everything, your body's everything."

Then there's this song.  It seems like a pretty suggestive song.  I mean, what kind of band would sing such a sexually charged song?  No way any, "good christian," should listen to this song!  Obviously this singer is having an affair.

"What have I become, now that I've betrayed
Everyone I've ever loved, I pushed them all away
And I have been a slave to the Judas in my mind
Is there something left for me to save
In the wreckage of my life, my life..."

There it is!!!  A biblical reference without cursing or suggestive lyrics.  This band has it down, biblical reference, clean lyrics and admitting they have failed, questioning if they can be saved.  Finally, I gave you lyrics that any, "good christian," band should have.

So tell me, which of those three bands would you listen to?  You and your desire for perfection in lyrics and messages in the lyrics, what band of the three above would you support and listen to?  Choose wisely, you never know what you are claiming to support if you don't consider everything.  Also, no cheating by typing in lyrics for Google to help you.

Decide yet?  Here, let me give you a couple clues.  Two of the songs were on albums banned by christian bookstores because of the perceived offenses of the songs.  One of the songs never made it to a christian bookstore because the band isn't a christian band.  Two of the bands have toured the world and played some of the largest venues and arenas in Russia, Germany, Mexico and the US.  The other band plays bars, houses, churches or anywhere they can get work.  Now, which of these songs is the best song to determine which band is the, "good christian band?"

Exactly!!!  You can't tell just off the lyrics.  The first song is from P.O.D. and is called, "I Am."  Yes, the very P.O.D. whose lead singer helped found the Whosoever movement.  The very band that isn't afraid to share their faith with people.  The second song is "Everything" from The Classic Crime.  They are a band with a collection of believers and non believers.  They just play music.  But, their lead singer writes from his christian world view.  The song was written as a love song to his wife.  Two great songs, both songs that christian retailers were afraid to put on shelves because they felt the songs would offend people. 

That last song is from Fozzy and is appropriately named "Judas."  Never heard of Fozzy?  Yeah, not a christian band.  Their lead singer is the popular wrestler, Chris Jericho. 

What's my point here?  I don't know.  Actually, I'm not certain I can fully explain my point.  At least not without offending the masses.  Sure, I know the bible talks about the tongue and how it can spark a flame, cause a wild fire or is a restless evil filled with poison (James 3:1-12).  Also, I know that Psalm has many verses about the tongue and the mouth uttering wisdom (Psalm 37:29-31) or David's plea to keep his tongue from sin (Psalm 39:1-3).  BUT!!!  I just can't find where the Bible says, "Don't swear."  I'm also a firm believer that ones language is up to the person.  If you don't have a problem with language, speak as you desire.  It's between you and God.  And, I'm also a believer that if my language causes someone to struggle, then I probably shouldn't talk a certain way around them when it is offending them.  Finally, if you get offended at someone who speaks a way you don't condone, then maybe you should avoid the things they do, lessons they provide, etc.  Just remember, you can't hold everyone up (or anyone up) to your standards when they may not believe like you do.

Basically, what I'm saying is, if you demand your, "christian music," to be clean, free of foul language, not sexually suggestive or other, and only provides uplifting lyrics, then you might be sorely disappointed to learn that Steven Curtis Chapman wrote a full album of love songs to his wife; you might be disappointed when you realize Skillet talks about suicide frequently; your perception that TFK keeps things simple is wrong considering they wrote a song about divorce.  See, when parts of the Bible are graphic enough to receive "R" or "NC-17" ratings in a movie theater, then you should expect bands and christians to get the same ratings when they sing or talk. 

If you want to reach the lost, you gotta go to where the lost is you need to go where the lost is.  You need to talk their language and sometimes, that means getting dirty.  And when christians struggle and are willing to admit it, then let's get dirty with them; let's struggle with them.  Condemning only hurts.  Let's heal.  Let's restore.  Let's love.

Christian Music and Pop Culture

Over the course of my writing I have shared my love of music.  Visit my personal and business Facebook pages and you'll see how I consider my music.  Speaking of my business, it is in the music industry.  One could say, I'm an addict.  You would be correct in that assessment.  Dive deep enough in this blog and you might see some posts about pop culture or current events.  I'm not a lover of pop culture, but I'd like to think I know just enough to be slightly dangerous.  I can recognize references most of the time, and might even give you a witty reference too.  But, please don't ask me to know about every pop culture reference you give me.  If you expect that, sooner or later you will get a deer caught in the headlights look.  If you want someone who is a pop culture junkie, hop over to my brothers blog, you'll be much more satisfied.

Today, I'm gonna combine my observations of pop culture, and associate the topic with a song.  Not just any song, but a Christian music genre themed song.  Think it can't be done?  Well, I'm out to prove you wrong.  More than just prove you wrong, I also hope to stir some thinking in your perspectives of faith and pop culture and how these two are more connected than you think.  There is no topic off limits, but for the sake of a shorter blog, I'm limiting what I put here...for now.

Topic one, the big one that currently has caused christians to prove how ignorant they are.  The red Starbucks cup.  Initially, not knowing the "controversy," I immediately started singing the hit Toby Keith song.  Then I learned what the commotion was about.  I shook my head.  Disbelief at how absurd this "Pastor" was in his outrage over a cup.  A CUP!!!  I've read many a blog, many posts and even participated in discussions about this stupid cup.  Then it hit me.  The color red.  It's associated with Taylor Swift album and song names, gangs and blood.  BLOOD!  YES!!!  Blood runs red.  It flows out of our bodies when cut.  More importantly, Petra gave us a song in 1981 that shared what the color red symbolizes.  Yes, The Coloring Song is really what red should be about, instead of a stupid cup from an establishment selling over priced and over acidic coffee.

Current event number two takes me to a very sore subject for many.  Race aside, everybody has an opinion, a story or even an example.  Me, sure I have an opinion, but the significance of the opinion is limited due to my life experiences.  But, I do know that at some point in time the race relations in this country have to improve and hopefully will improve.  I'm not the only one that has this hope and belief.  KB shares this hope in his song I Believe.  A great song, great message and one that gives me hope.

October 21st, 2015 has come and gone.  All the fun associated with this date brought back many memories, skits on late night TV and a city hoping that fiction became reality as it watched its lovable Cubs take one the Mets of New York for the right to play in the World Series.  The Cubs failed.  But, those cool shoes are in the prototype stage at Nike headquarters.  Hover boards do exist, but not perfected.  Flying cars are close, but Volkswagen still has a long way to go.  But, as I watch the video for American Noise from Skillet, I can't help but see a lot of the 80's in the video.  I also can't help but think that maybe, just maybe Marty McFly had to interpret all the noise he was seeing in 2015. 

Somehow, Bon Jovi has lasted the test of time in the music industry.  Just today I see a Facebook post from August about him severing his relationship with his record label.  No, that isn't relevant, but just the name Bon Jovi is.  Ask my teenagers and they know Livin' On A Prayer.  Go to any wedding and you are certain to hear this song.  Yes, even the Christian band Spoken and now their lead singer Matt covers the song.  I'll give you that the song talks of love and a relationship, but I believe we should always live in prayer, not just on prayer.  Manafest talks about this belief in one of his newer songs, aptly named Pray.

There you have it.  Four current events/pop culture references that I can associate with Christian music.  I did have to stretch a little with one, but the significance is not lost.  Yes, some of this is to simply poke fun, but even in poking fun, there is an underlying seriousness to our society.  Where are we placing significance in relationships, entertainment and dreams of the future?  What are we doing to heal differences?  What is causing our umbrage with everything?  

Want more fun?  Give me another current event or pop culture reference and I'll do my best to connect it to Christian music.  Yes, it can and will be done.