Hurm.
Tonight at a Christmas gathering I encountered a 'spiritual christian' individual. An middle-aged man, a relative of a relative's spouse. I do not know if he'd heard my wife and I are believers or simply brings it up Christian things as a matter of routine.
In any event we got to talking about music. I wanted to talk about music. He'd been -around- in the infancy of Christian rock. He wanted to... he kept talking about 'the spirit' of the music. He was not entirely cliche; he made a point that the 'brand' doesn't matter but the 'spirit,' that not all 'Christian' music has a good spirit and not all 'secular' has a bad. After all there are bands on Christian labels sold in Christian stores with members who aren't Christians or are Christians but are fucking groupies and doing coke backstage, and some 'non-christian' songs are incredibly powerful and communicate truth or beauty with grace and skill.
(I mean, I live in Abbotsford where I know a guy who has fooled around butnothadsex with half the girls in his church. It's not like that reality shocks me.)
I wanted to talk about music, particularly the great, early Christian musicians I find so interesting.
He wanted to talk at me about the 'spirit' of music.
We were talking two different languages about one subject. It was awkward and uncomfortable and left me feeling frustrated and depressed.
I just wanted to talk about -music-. Why do some things become 'sermon-like' with some people? Why is everything always about the 'spiritual?' Can they have normal conversations? Isn't love of art enough to please God?
(I'd like to think that Jesus would agree that bassline is sick or oh my gosh did you hear that guitar riff? Killer, man.
"Jesus Chris threw up the HORNS?"
"What can I say? Jesus is fucking metal.")
I can talk about music and art and not try to 'spiritualize' it; the discussion itself is pleasing to God. It is passionate and caring and detailed and thoughtful and engaging or just simple appreciation or joy. I think it is. I don't know if by spirit he meant a general thing, like the 'spirit of christmas' or the 'spirit of giving,' or something more specific like demons and angels 'attached' to music.
Which is not to say I think music is NOT spiritual. I believe music can be a transcendent experience - one beyond just affecting the heart and mind. I like good music made by believers. Of course the heart of a musician impacts his art. Why wouldn't I want to listen to a musician who also believes in Jesus? It's a shared experience. I just don't -only- listen to music made by believers. I don't get Christians who 'don't listen' to Christian music, like it's some dirty word. It's ignorant - there is plenty of good music made by believers. It might not be highlighted in the bookstores or selling bucketloads, but there's plenty. I might even agree that music made by Christians touches me more than (most) music made by non-believers. There is no hard and fast rule. And anyways I didn't want to have some deep discussion essentially a complete stranger, particular a mature individual who is not interested in dialogue because his mind is made up (and fairly so based on his life experience).
I just wanted to talk about music, man.
In any event we got to talking about music. I wanted to talk about music. He'd been -around- in the infancy of Christian rock. He wanted to... he kept talking about 'the spirit' of the music. He was not entirely cliche; he made a point that the 'brand' doesn't matter but the 'spirit,' that not all 'Christian' music has a good spirit and not all 'secular' has a bad. After all there are bands on Christian labels sold in Christian stores with members who aren't Christians or are Christians but are fucking groupies and doing coke backstage, and some 'non-christian' songs are incredibly powerful and communicate truth or beauty with grace and skill.
(I mean, I live in Abbotsford where I know a guy who has fooled around butnothadsex with half the girls in his church. It's not like that reality shocks me.)
I wanted to talk about music, particularly the great, early Christian musicians I find so interesting.
He wanted to talk at me about the 'spirit' of music.
We were talking two different languages about one subject. It was awkward and uncomfortable and left me feeling frustrated and depressed.
I just wanted to talk about -music-. Why do some things become 'sermon-like' with some people? Why is everything always about the 'spiritual?' Can they have normal conversations? Isn't love of art enough to please God?
(I'd like to think that Jesus would agree that bassline is sick or oh my gosh did you hear that guitar riff? Killer, man.
"Jesus Chris threw up the HORNS?"
"What can I say? Jesus is fucking metal.")
I can talk about music and art and not try to 'spiritualize' it; the discussion itself is pleasing to God. It is passionate and caring and detailed and thoughtful and engaging or just simple appreciation or joy. I think it is. I don't know if by spirit he meant a general thing, like the 'spirit of christmas' or the 'spirit of giving,' or something more specific like demons and angels 'attached' to music.
Which is not to say I think music is NOT spiritual. I believe music can be a transcendent experience - one beyond just affecting the heart and mind. I like good music made by believers. Of course the heart of a musician impacts his art. Why wouldn't I want to listen to a musician who also believes in Jesus? It's a shared experience. I just don't -only- listen to music made by believers. I don't get Christians who 'don't listen' to Christian music, like it's some dirty word. It's ignorant - there is plenty of good music made by believers. It might not be highlighted in the bookstores or selling bucketloads, but there's plenty. I might even agree that music made by Christians touches me more than (most) music made by non-believers. There is no hard and fast rule. And anyways I didn't want to have some deep discussion essentially a complete stranger, particular a mature individual who is not interested in dialogue because his mind is made up (and fairly so based on his life experience).
I just wanted to talk about music, man.