When I was a kid, Jackson Browne was the soundtrack to many road trips. When I hear his stuff, I feel all warm and fuzzy. Add to that, he’s just a great songwriter. From a performance at London’s Shepherd’s Bush Theater in 1978 (the year I was born), this is ‘Doctor, My Eyes.’
For Christmas, my wife let me buy a McPherson guitar. I had wanted one for quite some time, and we were able to find room in our budget. It’s probably the nicest guitar I’ll ever own.
Sorting through one’s motivations is a difficult process. I have the age-old argument that “it’s for ministry”, and that’s true. I use my guitar to minister to God and people. Someone else told me that music is a necessity you should never worry about investing in. I can buy that. But there’s always a dark place in my heart that wants to elevate the thing above the purpose. There’s always a temptation to find value in the object than in its use. There’s always a beckoning to make something other than Jesus my object of adoration.
Cam Huxford from Mars Hill Church in Seattle documents his own battle with idolatry. I can relate, both to the struggle, and to God’s gracious subverting of our lust.
Just keep watching (go fullscreen if you can)…
This is astonishing…(watch it in full screen)
As we drove through the countryside yesterday, we listened to a song with the following lyrics:
When the devil came
He was not red
He was chrome and he said
Come with me
You must go
So I went
Where everything was clean
So precise and towering
I was welcomed
With open arms
I received so much help in every way
I felt no fear
I felt no fear
– Wilco, Hell Is Chrome
It brought to mind the words of 2 Corinthians 11:14 -
…even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
Satan is able to deceive mankind precisely because he does not present himself as the evil enemy of our souls, but as a friend who only wants the best for us. A master of subtle suggestion, his most sinister temptations are found in ‘good things’.
This is exactly what led to the first sin of Adam and Eve. They were not tempted to commit acts of horror, but were simply asked to enjoy the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. After all, there’s nothing wrong with fruit, is there? And there isn’t – apart from the fact that God had expressly asked them not to eat from that one tree. The good thing caused them to put their judgment above God’s.
And the trend continues today. Christians are continually tempted away from God by good things. They will reason that what they and their families are pursuing is beneficial. It isn’t the good things that are evil, but the motivation behind them. If those things prohibit us from following the will of God for our lives, then they are inspired of Satan. He dresses as an angel of light, inviting us to take part in all kinds of good things that slowly and surely pull Christians away from the mission of the church and the Kingdom of God. Hell is chrome.
What good things are you involved with that hinder your relationship with God? What pleasant activities call you to regularly sacrifice your commitment to His church? What in your life shines brighter than your love for Jesus? It may be the source of your greatest darkness.
I remember a time when I was in awe of certain musicians. If they released a record, I would wait outside for the store to open so I could buy it, take it home, and let the musical genius wash over me. The music had such a profound effect on me that I would dissect it, listening from every angle, trying to figure out how it was making me feel this way. I honestly felt like my life was being shaped by what these musicians were creating. I hooked my identity to them, waiting for the next release to discover how my personality was going to develop further.
In thinking about this, three quotes came to mind that deal with this idea:
The passing of time leaves empty lives waiting to be filled
The passing of time leaves empty lives waiting to be filled
I’m here with the cause, I’m holding the torch
In the corner of your room can you hear me ?
And when youre dancing, and laughing, and finally living
You’ll hear my voice in your head and think of me kindly.
– The Smiths, Rubber Ring
“Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?“
– Nick Hornby, High Fidelity
“There’s people that love me and that’s really nice, and I feel that… and I respect it, but… people misunderstand that relationship quite a bit. They don’t necessarily… believe in me. They believe in themselves.
Y’know, Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth once said, ‘people pay to see people believe in themselves,’ and I think that that’s a very true statement, and I think that one of the things that’s going on there is that, um… well, it’s just like with people claiming that a piece of music makes them feel this way. I think that the opposite is probably true – that they have that feeling, and the piece of music allows them to recognize that.
So when people, uh… I feel very flattered that people put me at the center of it. I certainly enjoy that, that’s nice. But I think I have to be really rational about it and remember that it’s coming from them.”
–Jeff Tweedy, Sunken Treasure Live
Morrisey’s lyrics in Rubber Ring capture the myth – it’s music that sets you free, gives you an identity, and sets you on the path to wholeness. The song and its singer are your saviors. The name of the song tells you as much. Hornby’s quote recognizes that perhaps there is a dual relationship at work between the aficionado and the music, like a strange symbiosis. Tweedy, I think, gets closest to the truth. We bring our own feelings and issues to music, subconsciously seeking out something that will articulate, or help us recognize what’s inside.
At worst, we’re looking for an idol to validate our feelings or desires, to be the symbol to pin our hearts on. Pop music is great at doing just that. We scramble for concert tickets, put up posters in our rooms, wear t-shirts, and wait outside the store for the newest CD. We quote nonsensical or cheesy lyrics as if they are profound statements. We use coherent and insightful lyrics as holy scripture. We have found gods that amplify our feelings and won’t ask us to change. We crown them our Messiah, and pledge our eternal worship. This is why, when a group breaks up, or an artist dies, you can often find people weeping like the women at the tomb of Jesus. If they reform, the faithful let out a hallelujah, and evangelize about the resurrection.
It’s unusually humble for an artist like Tweedy to say the whole thing is not true. The idea of the tortured, illuminated, or gnostic artist sent to save you from your daily life is a falsehood. The idea that songs can save your soul is a stretch too far. It’s just music, man. Some of it’s real good. Some is even inspiring. But let’s save the adoration for a real God. Let’s look for salvation in a real Savior.
