I'll admit it, I listen to Christian radio sometimes. Sunday morning worship is usually ok. But then songs like this come on that make me cringe, criticize and (well, I would change the station but I keep listening, captivated, in horror) ...I'm not saying everyone needs to have a theological education. And I can appreciate that people express their faith and their Christian walks uniquely. I can also recognize that sometimes it does feel like our faith is works based...but it's NOT. This song I heard today I have heard before, so when it came on I turned it up for Janell to listen. It's called "Whatever it takes" (an assumption on my part, but they keep singing that line over and over so it's good enough). Here is the chorus:
Whatever it takes
That's what I'll do
I'd give anything to get back to you
I know I was wrong
And I've made some mistakes
But I'm gonna do whatever it takes
YEAH-Whatever it takes
Ok. Whatever. (Whatever it takes.) Here is the part that made me want to call the radio station:
I will follow
Anywhere that you lead
For it's your will not mine
I'm gonna prove it this time
What?!?! You're going to prove it? How exactly? And what if you don't? It's like God's love is based on our performance or getting it right. Now THAT would be tragic. Then,
I'm standin' here 'cause I've got nothing to lose
I lost it all when I walked away from you
I swear this time around
I won't let you down
Oooohhhh. (I'm moaning.) That's never a good promise to make. Especially to God. Because it most certainly will be broken...
I don't want to get down on this guy for expressing his Christian struggle, but I hate hearing things like this and picturing people hearing the song, really identifying with it, and taking on that burden of having to prove themselves to God or get things exactly right in order to earn his love. Too many people struggle with feeling like that's the way it is, so to hear a song about it affirms a familiar emotional battle, but also reinforces a common theological fallacy.
I'm torn between the artist's expression and the theological implications. Not torn enough, though -- someone give me this guy's number!
4 comments:
NIcely said.
Bien dicho, Kelsey. De seguro es una mamita!
his number is: 867.5309. i mean...1-800-dousallafavorandenrollinaseminary
It sounds more like a love song to a fellow human.
Anyway, i think everyone *should* have a theological education! It doesn't have to be seminary, Bible school, or anything else institutional, and we'll all be in different stages, but what ever happened to discipleship and loving God with our minds? If we don't know who God is, even as little as our finite minds can grasp, how can we say we love him? And isn't part of knowing (and loving) God to understand His truth? :)
Sure, artists can express themselves. It doesn't mean a Christian radio station needs to give airtime to their theologically-poor compositions. So go ahead, call him. Or the station. ;-) I'd like to know how poor theology is 'family friendly', if that's the station it was. :(
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