Something I’ve been working on over the years is the practice of being less judgmental toward and more accepting of other believers where they are in life. I’m not there yet; it’s a work in progress.
A little background. Back in my active Christian music journalist days, I was quite the Christian rock snob. I’d sit in the corner with fellow snobs, freely looking down my nose at the rest of the room filled with silly simpletons who in their pedestrian ways didn’t see things the way I did. How can they not like what I like? How can they not dislike what I dislike? Look at them, the goofy twats with their hands in the air at every least suggestion of worship, cheering along at every sloganeering effort coming from the stage. Fools! Don’t they know this is pre-fabricated puffery designed to do nothing but shift units? Can’t they see the shallowness of their ways? Don’t they know the music they adore is crap?
Actually, it was my attitude that was crap.
I could roll my eyes with the best of them at the fallacies of the church and its members. So what? What of my own fallacies? When was the last time I had approached Christ as a child filled with wonder instead of one self-satisfied with his own self-defined superiority?
Frankly, the rest of the room was way better off than I.
I learned there were times, many times, it was best to bite my tongue and smile. If I was actually behaving properly as the leader I fancied myself to be, I’d gently teach and encourage as opposed to sitting in a corner wishing a pox upon the room for not following me.
In other words, over the years I learned how to shut up and let God be God. He didn’t need my approval.
Also, I had a secret kept far away from my fellow snobs. I really liked DeGarmo & Key. I loved — loved – White Heart. I even liked Petra to a point. Admitting to any of these things would have earned me instant excommunication from the Christian rock snob society. I wonder if the same thing is happening today with bands like Third Day. But I digress.
This is one of the reasons why in Christ – Soul – Rock & Roll my main thrust is toward the mainstream side of things. Not that I’m going to ignore the alternative side of things. I didn’t talk to everyone I wanted to for God’s Not Dead (And Neither Are We) and hope to rectify that. However, please note that’s who I want to talk to. Author’s privilege.
I want to include members of White Heart and DeGarmo & Key and Petra, along with a host of other artists who worked in different generations and musical idioms. Why not? Their stories are important. They ministered. They gave a witness. So what if they weren’t the kool kidz?
I don’t want to be one anymore either.
