Driving Home

As we were driving back to Hepburn from a day spent in a camping by a lake (if we dare call it a lake) we were having fun talking about Jump5, a “Christian” band made of and for young teenagers. I must confess that we’ve listened to them twice in a month while working. Basically just because we thought it was funny and cheesy. Anyways, after we thought the topic was closed about Jump5, I started thinking and I started talking about the feeling I have about these Christian bands. I don’t want to say that Jump5 isn’t good at all for Christian teenagers or the like. I was just saying that many Christian bands nowadays promote ideas and concepts of Christianity and our life with Jesus that is twisted or only partially true. Many Christian singers sing songs about the joy we can find in life because of God, and they make it sounds like being a Christian is the best thing ever because you have joy and life is so good. Often we don’t even know if they are singing about Jesus or some boyfriend because no name is mentioned. I don’t see the teachings of Christ in these songs (and I’m not just talking about Jump5). It is true that Jesus calls us to have life in full, He wants us in heaven with Him, not in hell. He wants (and I say that carefully) us to be happy. All of this is true. But we cannot brag about a Christianity that is only joy and success, like life is going perfect all the time. Because that’s first of all not what goes on in most of our lives and second, that’s not what Christ taught.
Christ calls us to die, not to live. “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.” (Mk 8:34-35) And just think about the life of the apostles, can you really believe that they led easy, pain free lives? No they gave all (literally) to Christ’s cause.
Christ calls us, not to be casual about the Christian life, but full of awe in the face of God our Savior. Simply think about this: God let His Holy Son be killed by sinners in order to provide a way for us to be saved from His wrath. He was not casual about it, it cost Him the divine life of His Son Jesus (who was raised from the dead amen!). Salvation cost something great and we should not sing about it and live as if it’s casual and sweet. Many times we see the disciples in awe because of Jesus’ deeds and Jesus’ divinity. Just read Revelation and you’ll realize that God is truly almighty (or just read the Bible actually).
I don’t mean to say that the Christian life should focus on suffering and deep awe. I am saying that we cannot promote a Christianity that is for people’s earthly benefit only. Salvation is yes, for God’s and our eternal benefit, and yes this eternal life has begun already. But we are still here on earth, in our sinful body and are called to bring all to the knowledge of Christ. “Already but not yet”. We do have joys and happiness here on earth because we know Christ as our Lord and Savior, but we do experience the pain of putting to death our flesh and the “shame” that accompanies us among unbelievers, the persecutions for living according to Jesus’ teachings. Maybe we don’t experience much of that nowadays because we aren’t aware of the cost of following Christ and of the holiness of the God we claim to obey and love.
A friend in the car wondered if that’d be why we seem to sing and write songs that are shallow when compared to older songs. Many worship songs today are unbiblical and do not promote the truth. We sing them without really thinking I guess. There are many good, new Christian songs that I love, that are realistic and biblical too, but I just feel that everything is so shallow.
In the car I started thinking about this: what do we do about what we sing? It’s neat to sing beautiful things to God, but what do we do about it later? Songs basically are prayers and praises. Is it really a good thing to sing things like “I surrender all” or “You give and take away… my heart will choose to say, Lord blessed be your Name” or else and leave church and don’t do anything about it? It reminds me of the expression that says something like “Grand parleur, p’tit faiseur” (Big talker, small doer). Why do we sing these songs when it actually doesn’t mean anything to us and we’ll forget all about them and it won’t affect the way we live? Church isn’t just about weighing what the preach is about and putting it into practice, it’s also about coming before God and praising Him, praying to Him… and these things too, must have an impact on our daily lives.

I don’t know what sort of conclusion to write here. It’s been long enough already. These were some of my thoughts and it was neat talking to friends about them.

BANK FOR NATIVE MASSIONARIES: 14$ as of May 20, 2006
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