So, as many of you know I reviewed Christina Perri's new album Lovestrong. this past week partly due to my wife insisting I check it out. Well the hilarious part of it is that she's refusing to read my review because she feels I think every musician out there should be a Christian singer and have songs only about God. Well...yeah in many ways that is exactly what I think, but that doesn't mean only songs that sing God's praise are worth listening to. Just like in life you can reflect God in how you act in all situations...and songs are simply situations put to music. So yes the situations handled in songs can either be handled Godly or un-Godly...but that doesn't mean that they worship God throughout with arms held high. Let me give an example. Penguin, a love song on Perri's album I reviewed with high regards. It doens't say God in it once or sing his praise in words, but it does sing of a love for another person in a way that only God can inspire (as we love only because he first loved us). Or how about those inspirational songs that we play when we've hit a bump in the road in life and are a source of encouragement...as long as they don't proclaim anything unGodly I'm all for them.
The only gray area in music in my opinion are those songs that sing of just true to life emotions. It is here where artists don't always care to point the listener in the right direction, instead simply produce what they know will sell. We see this when artists produce songs that share tragedy or some life experience that flips their world. Instead of pointing towards a new day or times getting better, they focus on the pain, revenge or hopelessness. That to me makes them not worth listening to, but others may encourage the listenter to get up after a downfall, or point towards the daylight that is bound to come...in those cases I see nothing wrong with the song even though it necessarily may not be singing of God. God would want us to encourage one another through life's problems, and if an artist is doing that I don't think God would have a problem with it...however you couldn't really peg the artist or song as "Christian" I guess.
But that Christian-or-not arguement is one that people can have until their blue in the face...however I've always had a simple solution. As corny as it sounds picture yourself driving down the road with God riding shotgun (I know, imagine the looks you'd get!) and a song comes on....if your first thought is to look over at God to see if he approves or if something inside of you says "oh man I gotta change this" it's more than likely not God-pleasing. It is that pleasing to God that I believe should truly make our decisions about songs or artists we support...and not worry if they say God or Jesus in their songsa certain number of times.
Just my .02 for the day....one love, one God, one way.
Your Bro,
Tyni
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