Rock 'n Roll Jesus
“I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself.” (Romans 14:14, NIV)
A couple of weeks ago, I shared my first rock ‘n roll devotional with you. As I mentioned in that post, I’ve been writing these devotionals for years but have just recently decided to share them. Chances are, I’ll publish an entire book of rock ’n roll devotionals one of these days.
Why would you want to write a devotional book based on rock ’n roll lyrics? If I had a rock ’n roll album for every time I’ve been asked that question, I would have - to borrow a slightly altered phrase from Annie Lennox - a mountain of music coming up to my chin. But as I told you in my first post, I hear God speaking to me through rock ’n roll lyrics all the time. Strange, unusual? Maybe, but it’s true.
I’ll be the first to admit, rock ’n roll and Jesus is somewhat of a paradox, to say the least. Although Bob Ritchie, alias, Kid Rock, might argue with me on that point, he has an album entitled Rock ’n Roll Jesus. And yes, I’ll be sharing some rock ’n roll devotionals based on Kid Rock songs.
But back to what I was saying. Rock ’n roll and Jesus may not seem like such a good fit, but, in fact, there are some real similarities between the two. Think about it -
Rock ’n roll has always challenged the status quo or establishment. So did Jesus: breaking sabbaths, partying with sinners, hanging out with loose women, restocking the bar at the wedding reception, using crude lyrics like “eat my flesh and drink my blood.” Jesus was definitely anti-establishment! In the eyes of the fundamentalist religious leaders of his day, Jesus was a first-century Mick Jagger. And like Mick, he was accused of having sympathy for the devil! And we will definitely be looking closely at that song, which has been grossly misunderstood.
There’s another similarity between rock ’n roll and Jesus, and that is that both rockers and Jesus have a lot to say about freedom. Born out of Black gospel, where freedom was the heart-cry of an oppressed people, the emergence of rock ’n roll in the mid-twentieth century has been referred to as “music of liberation.” (All Shook Up, p.xi.)
Freedom, by Jimi Hendrix, remains one of his most popular songs to this day. The Who’s rock opera, Tommy, includes lyrics affirming that freedom tastes like reality. And I love Janis Joplin’s rendition of Chris Kristofferson’s Me and Bobby McGee. There is a lot of truth found in the words describing freedom as just another word for nothing left to lose. The Isley Brothers, Steppenwolf, and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young are just a few of the many rock bands who have sung about freedom.
The establishment characterized this cry for freedom as rebellion against authority, but let’s not forget that Jesus, who began his ministry announcing “freedom for the captives,” and saying that “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed,” was accused of the same thing.
Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not out to legitimize the rock ‘n roll lifestyle or to make light of lyrics that are, at times, anti-church and anti-Christ. (Although, we would do well to pay attention to them.) I am, however, out to do exactly what Jesus did, and that is to see and hear God in the most unexpected people.
Rock musicians are artists, and as artists, they generally don’t fit into societies’ mold and expectations. The truth is they don’t fit into the cookie-cutter mold found in many Christian circles either. For this reason, they tend to be marginalized, and if there is one thing the gospels teach about Jesus, it is that he sought out and connected with those who, to quote from a famous Aerosmith song, are “living on the edge. (Hmmm, could that be where the idea for the name of my ministry, Church on the Edge came from?)
Regardless, that’s the reason, I’ve decided to begin sharing some rock ’n roll devotionals with you because I really do see and hear Jesus in rock music. After all, if a tax collector like Matthew, a terrorist like Simon, the Zealot, and even a thief and traitor like Judas Iscariot, were chosen by Jesus, surely Christ would have welcomed some rock ’n rollers.
Jesus told the religious leaders in his day that tax collectors and prostitutes were entering the kingdom of heaven before them. Our Lord promised some big surprises on the Day of Judgment, saying that not everyone who says “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the kingdom of heaven. To those who visit prisoners and offer cups of water to the thirsty, Jesus will someday say, “as you have done it unto the least of these, you have done it unto me.” If I understand these words of Jesus at all, then I think it is safe to say that the presence of Christ himself can be found in people and, yes, music, we would never expect, including rock ’n roll.
All people are created in the image of God. And with that image comes the divine spark of creative genius. Every good and perfect gift comes from above, James tells us in his New Testament letter. “We all come from Him,” the apostle Paul told the Athenians at Mars Hill. And then he said, “In him, we live and move and have our being.” But those weren’t Paul’s words. The fact is, Paul was quoting the Greek poets, the rock ’n rollers of his day.
I know it’s only rock ’n roll, but I like it, I like it. Yes, I do.
Lord, give us ears to hear the Rock in the rock ’n roll.
In Christ,
Dan
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