It's Only Rock 'n Roll?
It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. (Matthew 17:2)
Aerosmith’s hit song, Janie’s Got a Gun, is a haunting social commentary on the feelings of helplessness and desperation experienced by victims of child abuse. It tells the story of a young girl who shoots her sexually abusive father. I listen to this song often during times of prayer and meditation for those presently trapped in abusive circumstances, as well as those tormented by the memories of past abuse. My daughter is a pro bono attorney for human trafficking victims, and I hear a lot of shocking stories.
In the song, Steven Tyler sings about Janie, whose father was abusing her sibling. I encourage you to listen to the song. You can find it here.
As you listen, keep in mind that the record company asked Steven Tyler to change the original words. Raped was changed to “jacked,” and “a bullet in the brain” was changed to “found him underneath a train.” When Aerosmith plays the song live, Tyler often sings the original lyrics.
The response to Janie’s Got a Gun was staggering in the United States and around the world. It was one of the most popular rock songs in 1990, reaching number one on the charts in Australia and number twelve in Sweden. People who had lived for years in secret shame began to share their pain on worldwide blogs. (You can still search for these blogs on the web.) Many followers of Christ responded with encouragement, scripture, and prayer for the hurting. Countless lives were touched thanks to some gutsy rock ‘n’ rollers who, through their music, reached hurting people that pastors like me could never reach.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for touching unreachable hearts through unexpected servants in unconventional ways. Amen.
In Christ,
Dan
P.S. Weekly Rock ’n Roll devotionals begin Friday, February 4, along with the new weekly format for Church on the Edge posts and podcasts. Learn more here, and stay tuned.
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