Wednesday, May 27, 2009

What kind of music is God into?

Some church folk are funny. They act like once you've accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, your musical taste should automatically change. You're only to listen to songs sanctioned by whatever church or denomination you belong to. What's absurd about this belief (at least to me) is that a song that some might consider from the "wrong side of the track" actually bought me back to Christ.

Like many of the relationships in my life, my relationship with Christ fizzled. We stopped being close, talked less and soon lost touch. I would here others talk about their relationship with Christ and would say under my breath, been there, done that. It seemed to me that in my relationship with him, I was the one doing all the giving and all the communicating so I kicked him to the curb. I can do bad by myself.

One night I was listening to music when "This Cowboy Song" by Sting came on. I listened and after it played, I played it again and again. I played that song for hours and while it played, I rethought my relationship with Christ. I realized that even after we had broken up, he looked out for me. Car accidents, sickness, I made it through because of him. He wasn't a deadbeat. He was closer to me than my own parents. I cried as I listened to Sting and I asked God to forgive me and to take me back. Here we are over four years later and our relationship is as strong as ever, we talk all the time.

Music...I listen to music on the way to church. Sometimes I listen to gospel and sometimes not. I listen to what moves me and that can be anything from The Jackson Five to Jackson Browne, Handel to Herbie Hancock. One Sunday I was listening to Marcus Miller "The Sun Don't Lie" (I like to call it "The Son Don't Lie) in the church parking lot and by the look on the faces of some of those passing by my car, you would have thought I was robbing a bank. These are probably the same people that were outraged when Kirk Franklin first came on the gospel scene. He was different and therefore unacceptable. After I finished listening to Mr. Miller, I thanked God for great music and ears to hear it. By the time I got to the front door of the church, I had a smile on my face and a dance in my step.

I think God loves a good bass beat. I think God plays the bass.

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