...Eliminate the Negative
I think I'll approach a different question in the music debates while I'm thinking about it...
One of the great differences between Christian music and secular music (besides the fact that one's Christian and one's secular) is the fact that Christian music is almost always positive and secular music is often negative. For example, a Christian song might say "I was hurting, but You healed me," whereas a secular song would be far more likely to say "These wounds won't seem to heal; this pain is just too real." (Evanescence My Immortal)
Is this healthy? I mean, to emphasize the negative and meditate on it doesn't strike me as a good idea. To say "this pain is just too real" is sort of giving power to such feelings, isn't it? It seems like saying "well, I can't really overcome this problem because it hurts too much." It doesn't really leave a lot of room for God's healing power, does it? In other words, it sort of points to a lack of faith in God's ability to heal any hurt you may have.
Not that I'm knocking Evanescence... I commend the fact that their lyrics are relatively clean. However, their music and most other secular music seems to focus excessively on depressing things, rather than uplifting and edifying things. Radiohead is another offender, of a different type. It's hard to tell if Radiohead is trying to be positive or negative with most of their lyrics, since most of their songs appear to be composed of five random sentences that are repeated in different orders throughout the song. Radiohead also appears to have a very limited vocabulary, judging from their fondness of profanity. If a group can't find any better words to express themselves, then I prefer not to listen to them.
So here's another question.
How much does the music you listen to affect you? If the eyes are the windows to one's soul, are the ears such also? And thus, by listening to negative music, are you in effect filling your soul with negativity?
Also, David brought up a point in the last music thread about how he feels that praise music should be used for just that: praise. Is that the case? And also, does CCM qualify as music for praise, or is it rather for entertainment? I know I listen to it for entertainment, personally...
So... Have at it. Let me know what you think.
posted by jacob.thrasher @ 12/01/2004 10:00:00 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:COMMENT POLICY
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greetings,
i browse the site on occasion, and let me say first off, i respect everything you write, although i disagree with much of it.
on the music front. i agree about the CCM stuff. i challenge anyone to go into any christian music store and find a cd cover with an ugly person on it. you wont find any. christian music is the most superficial industry around. i have nothing against good looking people, im just saying that very often, the CCM seems to feel the need to be overly cool or hip. i find that odd, since jesus most certainly was not cool at all.
if youre looking for a great christian artist, id recommend derek webb, or robbie seay, or david crowder. in that order. good stuff.
as far as secular music, i dont believe it is all bad. firstly, i dont believe "secular" exists, because the word, in part, means a place where god isnt. you and i can agree that god is everywhere, so surely god can be found in the lyrics of radiohead, coldplay, wilco, u2, evanescence, whoever.
just because lyrics are raw and emotional and painful, does not mean god is not there. some people have no hope, or perhaps they have jesus, but still feel hopeless, and thats fine. its part of the process of growing and stumbling and journeying with jesus. just because someone follows christ doesnt mean their life is perfect or they always feel happy.
id suggest listening to some u2 or coldplay or wilco. lots of spiritual stuff in some of the songs youll find there.
keep chasing after jesus :)
jer
Hello! Never, been to your blog before, but I stumbled upon it and your topic definitely interests me b/c I've thought about it a lot myself. In regard to the whole "negative lyrics" or whatever...sometimes you feel that way and you need to express it you shouldn't bottle it up. I used to be somewhat...well suicidal really and I started writing raw, emotional, dark poetry, but it helped me get through that time in my life b/c I expressed what I was feeling rather than keeping it inside. I like to listen to what you call "negative or depressing" music a lot! That doesn't mean God is absent from it. I don't know if you've ever felt empty enough to identify with the Evanescence lyrics you posted or not, but that is a state of being that is so hard to come through and when your there it is very hard to just up and say, "I know you're there God and you'll get me through this" even if you do know that. You just need to write down or sing whatever you're feeling.
In regard to the CCM topic...I think the CCM genre is somewhat shallow in there "God loves everybody" message, but there is some good still to be found it. However, there happy-go-lucky view of God isn't completely Biblical which is why I'm careful in listening to it. God is just...as well as merciful and loving. Not everybody is going to be saved or can be saved and that is His will. He predestined whom He wanted to come to Him and everybody else will go to hell and that will be for His honor too. Thus, again my cautiousness in getting to wrapped up in the somewhat shallow or "emotional feel good worship" CCM prmotes and encourages.
Hey!
i foundt you site off the-legion.blogspot.com well, im a christian too, and im canadian, :) and our liberal government is very horrible. ANYWAYS, i also dont listen to music, but whatever. my thoughts on this.
i think what you listen to definitely affects how you feel and your outlook on life. If you get it drummed into your head that something is good, eventually you believe that it is good, at least in the most simplistic form. that, to me, sounds like brainswashing. THe music that is out there today, i dont agree with most of it, of what i've heard, which isnt much. I think that listening to christian music for entertainment is fine. If you believe that christian music is soley for praising god, well, what are you going to be listening to when you dont feel like praising god at that moment. In addition, we SHOULD (i dont always...maybe someone out there does, but not me..sadly) always be praising god. By choosing to listen to music that praises him, we are making one right choice. also, the songs that we sing, usually help me, simply because, i cant remember verses (bad memory) but i remember the tune, adn with that the words.
yeah, ok, sry for spamming your site.
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