Mosh pit Gospel

Posted on February 17, 2007
Filed Under Generally Spiritual (few if any geek references) | Leave a Comment

Mosh Pit Gospel

I must be getting older, older in that Mork from Ork kind of way. The more chronologically advanced humanoids amongst us certainly remember Mork and Mindy right? As you may recall, Robin Williams (Mork) used his phenomenal ad lib skills in the role of a lovable, wacky space alien coping with all of the oddities of earth, humans and Boulder Colorado.

In the last season of Mork and Mindy” they decided bring in Jonathan Winters to play the role of their son. Yes, that’s right, their son. You see, on Mork’s planet, you are born old and get younger as time goes on.

I wonder why that was the last season of the show? Ah, well.

Anyway, here I am wondering if I’m from Ork or something because my musical tastes should be getting more conservative, more sedate, more restricted and more old geezer like. But they are not.

In fact they seem to be getting “younger” with time. Sure, when I was in high school and college, I loved various forms of rock music. After college, I narrowed my focus down to Christian artists and in time I figured that I had the music thing all figured out. Despite my love for a good beat I was definitely into the more sedate forms of Christian music. In my humble opinion, there were some styles of music that could never be redeemed. Heavy metal was top on that list.

So, now, serveral years later, as I have gotten greyer and creakier, what am I doing listening to All for you” by Jonah33 right now as I type? If you are unfamiliar with the band, I would describe them as something like Metalica meets Chris Tomlin. There is the deep, driving frenetic bass, the squealing, piercing guitar, the gravelly, growling vocals and of course, the intense, drum beat. Twila Paris, they’re not.

I can so easily picture a Christian mosh pit going nuts during a song like All for you. (Christian mosh pit” ??? an oxymoron? Probably. But please, let’s press on..)

So, again, I ask, why in the world am I listening to this song? For one thing, All for You” has great lyrics: and now He sweats these drops of blood and He cries ‘take this cup from Me!’ but He knows there’s no other way… there’s no way to repay all the pain He went through for you. His reason is simply His love. It was all for, it was all for you. He bled and He died for you

Of course, the singer practically screams out those words, while the other musicians pour out more energy into their riffs and beats than the entire Chicago Bears defense during the Super Bowl. The song is like an audio version of The Passion of Christ. But perhaps, like The Passion songs like All for you” strive to be honest to the point of getting very intense.

But why heavy metal?

If I want a great song about Christ dying for my sins, why listen to a kids song, something that you figure only a high school kid would like? I don’t know. Maybe it’s because the thought of a heavy metal song actually drawing people to Christ blows my mind. Maybe it’s because over the years God has been turning me from a judgmental, nasty, harsh theological know-it-all into someone who can have a little peace in my heart once in a while, someone who maybe has a little less anger and a little more joy, someone who can maybe try to understand other people occasionally even heavy metal fans–and rejoice with them as they rejoice.

I still don’t like heavy metal music on the whole, but it thrills me to know that there are songs out there like All for You, that have great lyrics and a passionate sound. Maybe heavy metal fans are not all adrenalin junkies driven by raw emotion. Maybe some of them have a deep, passionate response to the love of Christ and their music expresses it. Maybe some of them have something that I don’t.

If we can get passionate about a sporting event, like a football game, then perhaps a little passion over what Jesus did isn’t automatically a bad thing.

Wow, I can’t believe I just said that. I must be getting “older” in a Mork for Ork kinda way.

“unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” — Jesus (Matthew 18:3)

PS: I was listening to this Christian Hip-Hop song the other day and I concluded that it can’t possibly be God honoring…. well, I mean, but….. gee, my Christian Hip Hop friends sure love this stuff, and I must admit, they really show the love of Christ in their daily lives, and it does seem to draw them closer to God…..and …. and…. No! This can’t be happening to me! Only one paradigm shift allowed per decade, only one!

 

Comments

Copyright © 2007 Thru The Spectacles • Using Modernpaper theme created by Performancing