First Things

Three Songs

I am learning that musical taste is an incredibly personal thing.  

For example, I like baroque classical, piano jazz, progressive rock, and alternative metal.  I will give any well-made modern song a chance, but in my opinion, the best of “popular music” began in the 1960’s and ended in the late 1980’s.  I like some alternative music.  I don’t care for country or rap music (no matter how well intended).  Strangely, I avoid most “contemporary Christian music”, though there are a few songs here and there that I really appreciate for its message.

But that’s just me.

My wife, among other things, loves Broadway musicals and big band music from the war years.  My daughters listen to some contemporary Christian music and “K-Pop” (pop music from Korean bands).  I don’t align with a lot of what they listen to, but they also have some pretty strong opinions of what I like.

Potato, pot-ah-to. 

At the end of the day, no style is bad.  They’re all just different media through which to convey a rhythm, message, or emotion.

For any song to be congruent, the mood and intent of the lyrics need to match the rhythm, harmony, and instrumental choice of the music.  Both lyrics and music are complementary to the overall message.  Some will listen to a song only for its music because it’s catchy or nostalgic.  (This is where I would file most 80’s music for myself.)  But as I get older, I’m learning that the soul of a song is contained in the lyrics.  The music merely supports the message found there.  But putting the right music put to the right lyrics can be a powerful expression.

I’m sure there are all sorts of theories that attempt to explain why humans like songs and singing.  But I think the biggest reason is because we are part of God’s creation and He has built these things into creation for the purpose of bringing Him glory (Psalm 44:6, Job 38:7, Isaiah 14:7).  And just as humanity has been given a gift of composing songs that bring Him glory, we’ve likewise been given an appreciation of music so that we might behold His glory.

Of course, as with everything else God has given to mankind, we have twisted and abused its use. While I don’t mind “secular” songs that speak to emotion, awareness, and a sincere search for truth, music has all too often been used to speak from a place of darkness and emptiness.  A study on billboard chart music from 1960 to 2009 revealed some of the most common lyrical themes to include heartbreak, desire, loss, jadedness, aspiration, pain, desperation, rebellion, escapism, and confusion.  But while the Christian response has largely been to retreat into the gates of a spiritual ghetto (relegating our message to the confines of hymn books and the “Christian music industry”), I believe the Lord’s most compelling work remains outside these gates where He’s revealing His glory in some of the most unlikely places.  

In a previous post, I wrote about how the Lord leads us by beholding His glory.  We behold His glory through our spiritual senses.  These are spiritual versions of our physical senses of sight, hearing, touching, tasting, and feeling.   When we do, we’re compelled by the sheer weight of His magnificence to align our lives with His will.

In this post, I want to share three songs where I’ve beheld the Lord’s glory.  They’re songs where I’ve felt the weight of His magnificence.  But you won’t find any of them in a church hymnal or on any worship PowerPoint slides.  You won’t find them on a Christian radio station.  A couple of them are probably on the fringes of what some would even call music.  Each song belongs to an opposing corner of the musical spectrum. Without mentioning the name of Jesus, they each speak to a different aspect of Christ’s manifold glory.

The danger of seeing Christ in music is that we’ll have a tendency to label a song as “worship music” and escort it back to the evangelical ghetto where it’s safe for us to consume. So, please understand that I’m not suggesting these songs be used in worship.  (Except for maybe the first one, I would expressly avoid it.)  What I am saying is that I’ve seen the Lord’s beauty and power in each of them and I’ve been brought to tears by what I’ve seen.  There is purpose in merely listening and beholding Him. Because of these songs, He looms greater before me.  They compel me to cast myself aside to pursue Him more. 

A Modern Prophet

Bob Dylan is an American folk musician most associated with the American and British music scene of the 1960’s and 1970’s.  His story is not uncommon to many who made it big in music during that time period.  It’s a story of triumph, tragedy, and giving voice to purpose.  Throughout his career he’s crossed paths and collaborated with several big-name artists.  To date, Dylan has made a whopping 39 albums.  I’m not going to pretend like I’m intimately familiar with his music except to say that what he lacks in a “singing voice”, he more than makes up for in his songwriting.  I read that in the late 1970’s he converted from nominal Judaism to Christinaity which influenced much of his work on the next several albums.

The song I want to share is called When the Ship Comes In from the album The Times They Are a Changin’.  Interestingly, the album was released in 1964–over a decade before his conversion to Christianity.  Many would agree that this song deals with the triumph of social and political change that was so prevalent during that time.  Some of it was no-doubt inspired by his Jewish upbringing.  But regardless of the inspiration, what I hear in his song and lyrics is a powerful reminder of the Christian hope.  

To me it speaks to our King’s return to earth when He once again steps foot on the shore of our side of creation.  It speaks to the jubilation that will take place, the freedom of final reconciliation, and the fulfillment of promised retribution against evil.  

Click here to listen to the video before reading further.

When I first heard this song, I couldn’t help but laugh, clap, and cry.  I still do.  Such a simple presentation:  Just Bob, a guitar, and a harmonica solo singing about the most incredible event that the world will ever see.  I love it because there’s an anticipatory tone in Dylan’s voice–he’s certain that what he’s signing about will eventually happen.  Just as we should be.

I particularly love these two verses…

And the words that are used

For to get the ship confused

Will not be understood as they’re spoken

For the chains of the sea

Will have busted in the night

And will be buried at the bottom of the ocean

The first speaks to the words that are commonly used in the enemy’s playbook to downgrade and malign our message to the world.  Dylan reminds us that there will be a day when our message will be fulfilled in front of the whole world.  There will be ultimate clarity in all things.  When it does, the words meant to distract will no longer have any effect.  They won’t be understood even as they’re spoken.

The second verse to me has a double meaning.  In one sense, the chains can refer to the final effect of mankind’s sin being broken once and for all with the coming of Christ.  But to me, a deeper meaning deals with the compulsion that the Lord might feel in the timing of His return.  In a sense, He is restrained from His ultimate rescue to allow the outworking of His purpose to be fulfilled.  But when He does return, He’ll no longer be constrained by imperfect relationships as the whole world will then see Him face-to-face and can come to know Him without limit.  Those chains will be buried forever.

Whether or not he ever meant it this way, this song is prophetic.  As the Jewish prophets of Dylan’s ancestry spoke to the shadows of things they didn’t yet understand, this song is encouragement for the long-haul.  And even though it hasn’t been written by Fanny J. Crosby or Chris Tomlin (and even though it doesn’t even mention Jesus) it’s one that I would proudly sing with other believers to declare our hope to one another in anticipation of what’s yet to come.

“And now,” as Monty Python would say, “for something completely different…”

Words as Instruments

We know from Sunday school that the book of Psalms were made up of (you guessed it), songs. The writers of these hymns included King David, Asaph, the “orphans” (thought to be scribes), and the Sons of Korah (among others).  Like songs today, the psalms expressed the breadth of emotions from jubilation to contempt.  When we read them in our native language, we only get a translation of the “lyrics-half” of the song.  I always wondered, what would a Psalm sound like in its original language?  How is a psalm intended to be heard?

This research led me to the following rendition of Psalm 50, sung in the Aramaic language.  Now, most believe that the original psalms were written and sung in Hebrew.  But since both Aramaic and Hebrew are semitc languages, their “style” is similar.  

The male voice is Father Seraphim Bit Kharibi, an Assyrian Orthodox priest who lives in the country of Georgia.  His main flex is that he chants in Aramaic and is considered a “rock star” of sorts in the Orthodox faith.  I have to admit his singing is incredible.  Psalm 50 holds a special place in the hearts of the Orthodox Christian community.  It’s the only Psalm that’s required to be recited completely at every Divine Liturgy (Sunday service).  

When you listen, don’t be in a hurry.  Still yourself.  Be quiet.  Use earbuds if you have to.  You don’t have to understand the words to be moved by them.  Remember, Boenhoeffer said that the Psalms were the prayer book of Christ.  This psalm is being sung in the native tongue of our Lord.  He is found there.

Click here to listen to the video.

You may have noticed that the only music is the occasional toll of a bell in the background.  Here, the lyrics are the music.  The song represents a sullenness, a search for forgiveness, and a confirmation that the Lord is righteous and holy.  While we can only read along with the translation, the mood is conveyed perfectly by the singing itself.  There’s a reverence for the Lord that’s hard to find in worship anymore.  While sounding middle-eastern to the western ear, there’s definitely something proto-cultural about it. It transcends the popular notion of what’s right or normal.  It exceeds normalcy.  I found the Lord’s glory in this song–the prayer of a murderer and an adulterer.  

But arguably even more glorious than the presentation of this song is what I found in its comments section of the video.  Take a look.  

Most video comments reflect the listeners thoughts about the song.  But what’s unique about these comments is the tremendous sense of Christian unity shared by listeners throughout the world.  No debates about heresy.  No disagreement about the distractions of systematic orthodoxy.  Just humble identification in Christ, blessings to all, and sincere requests for the brothers and sisters who are suffering persecution.  Pages and pages of it. Why? All because they beheld the manifold glory of Christ found in this song. By His glory, He aligns us to unity.

Absolutely beautiful.  

As we depart from this song and segue to the next, may it remind us of our unity with those all around the world who sing differently about the same Savior who binds us together in perfect love.  Let’s remain prayerful about the situations they find themselves in.

New Wineskins

The last song I want to share is taken from the metalcore band Silent Planet called Till We Have Faces.  For those familiar with Lewis’ works, the band borrowed both their namesake and track title from his books.  The lead singer, Garrett Russell, has become a somewhat polarizing figure among believers.  Like Jesus, he doesn’t fit neatly into anyone’s box.  Like Jesus, He’s rough in some areas.  Despite being a “Christian band”, their discography tackles a plethora of topics, from historical conflicts, to the dangers of technology, to the frailty of the human condition. I like them because they speak to elements of spirituality that don’t meet the formula of radio-ready music. It’s refreshing to listen to thematically unexplored territory.

But before you do a hard pass on listening, understand this isn’t your dad’s devil-music.  This particular song is about surrendering to our destiny in Christ. It has complex rhythms, electronic and ambient instrumentation, orchestral elements, and singing that frequently switches from chaotic to peaceful and melodic.  The lyrics are very well written. Even the accompanying video offers a cinematic presentation that reflects the mood of the song and the scope and weight of its message. 

Click here to watch the video.  (You’ll also want to click the “more” drop-down under the video to read along with the lyrics since they’re hard to understand in some places.)

As Lewis explains in The Great Divorce, we’re all accelerating toward something.  Gravity is always drawing us toward the center of something much greater, much more massive than ourselves.  We fight with our flesh against it, but gravity is a subtle, constant force that draws us nearer.  Our decision to fight or surrender has an expiration date.  The graveyards are filled with those who remind us.

As we release ourselves in the fall, the acceleration will break us.  We’ll be formed into something that would have been previously unrecognizable.  Something beautiful.  This future beauty is captured in the bridge of the song which crescendos with some of the most sublime truth ever captured by this genre:

Even the silence has a rhythm 

and as I beat against the earth it sounded like omission. 

Laying inside the lowland, I bowed within the reeds. 

I gave myself to consequence when grace devoured me.

Colors ignite with cosmic fission. 

Eidolons of light scorch the earth in absolution. 

I’ll break like the dawn, I’ll bleed by design. 

Surrender regret, there’s no antidote for time.  

With lyrical efficiency, Russell does a masterful job of describing the culmination of the Christian hope as he weaves back and forth between its present and final form.  The coming of the future Kingdom will not be some side-show.  It will not be a colorless event.  It will be characterized by a sublime, violent beauty that will involve all of creation–the whole of the cosmos.  Light is personified as the harbinger of Christ which will purify the planet in a final, permanent act of reconciliation.  In an instant we will “break like the dawn” and be given our final glorified form.  But until then, we will “bleed by design” as He did while we complete His work this side of the resurrection.  Given all this, he ends the bridge in the simple admonishment to surrender to this Gravity that draws us.  

It’s one thing to read these lyrics, but it’s another thing to hear their weight in the delivery. The Lord’s glory is found there. 

---

Well, that’s it. Not everyone will feel the way I do about these songs.  I get that. Different music touches us in different ways.  Scripture is filled with examples of where others have seen or heard the Lord even while standing in the company of others who hadn’t.  There’s certainly precedent for that. And I’m sure it works the other way around.

That said, I’d love to hear about a song where you’ve beheld the Lord’s glory.  Feel free to drop a comment and share.  Like Planet Fitness, this is a “no judgment zone” (but without all those treadmills).