Lar,

I really appreciated your last post brother. That was encouraging. Too often we fail to understand the way in which the Lord dispenses His mercies. Although it is true that we ought always to be doing all we can to place ourselves under the waterfall of God’s blessings, the Lord will always keep us dependent. Indeed, He will always keep us hungering and thirsting for more. The beauty of it is that He does this in a billion different ways for His people. He uses everything from the sword to the traffic jam–and He is doing the same thing in both–working in His people to will and to work to His glory. Surely we will marvel at His wisdom throughout eternity! Let us labor to do so more and more even now!

I would like to go on with that some more, but feel compelled to share a few thoughts that were sparked by a newspaper headline. I opened up to page A-2 of the newspaper today and at the top read the headline, “Religion fuels hate, Elton John says.” Now, I won’t go into whether or not that should actually be a headline or not. It is what it is. And it is where it is. So we need to deal with it.

The first thing that struck me was the fact that it was there. I just mentioned that I suppose, but think of it, Elton John is doing a routine interview and his opinion gets splashed on newspapers all over the world (and that isn’t an exaggeration I believe). It’s headline news what Elton John thinks about religion. What is the world coming to? But it is reality and it is not new. And if you think of it, it is quite natural, those whom we (society that is, not me) admire naturally have a platform for their opinion on any number of issues. People really do care what they think.

The second thing that hit me was the fact that I can understand why Elton John would say something like that. Notice that I don’t say that it is true. I simply say that he (and others who feel the way he does) has some support for that ‘headline’ statement. Numerous religious people (Christian or whatever) are anything but loving to those who disagree with them, particularly those who push a homosexual agenda (which John clearly does). This is disheartening. It is sad that those who lay claim to the cause of Jesus Christ know little to nothing of truth spoken in love. It is also revealing that many who lay claim to Christ have very little security in Him and knowledge of His Person. Those who are secure in Christ Jesus cannot help but love those who are perishing.

The third thing that hit me was the fact that Elton John’s songs have had and continue to have 30 millions times more impact than this simple quote in the newspaper (no matter how many people these quotes reach). I can’t elaborate on this the way I would like, but this quote will help. I came across it in a court document for one of my classes. It reads, “Everyone is familiar with instances of propaganda through fiction. What is one man’s amusement, teaches another’s doctrine.” I don’t know who said it, but whoever did so is right on.

Now substitute ‘fiction’ with ’song’ and you will better understand my third point. See, those who do not think that music has any impact on the way in which they think fail to realize that music (with its union of lyrics and sound) naturally pushes a worldview upon them every single time they listen. Not only that, but it does so more effectively than a simple quote in the newspaper that can be understood and processed at face value. O how powerful is the medium of media! It must not be underestimated.

“What is one man’s amusement, teaches another’s doctrine.” All that Elton John has ever written and sung is now memorized in the minds of millions. And whether they realize it or not, those memorized lyrics have sunk deep into their thinking so that the way Elton John views the world (which is surely in every song) has profoundly influenced the way they view the world. Think of it, both you and I can surely sing along with Elton John on a few songs. We might not be able to recall the words right now (or even the title of a song), but if the music came on at the gym, we might find ourselves singing along. And if we are not actively thinking through the nonsense that is much of those lyrics, that is, if we listen passively, those words will sink in deep and influence the way in which we think and live.

This really is scary isn’t it? Music is much more powerful than we realize. The teaching of a man’s doctrine goes on every single time a song is sung. The way we live is determined by the way we think. So music is an incredibly powerful tool to shaping the way we live our lives, for it informs the way we view the world whether we realize it or not. Those who say that they only like the beat simply don’t understand the medium.

And so it is with fiction books and newscasts and interviews and everything else under the globe really. Ideas are powerful. They have consequences, both good and bad. The way a person views the world shines through everything they say and do. And if they have a platform like Elton John, that can be a very scary thing. So let us labor to love those with whom we differ, so as to make manifest the love of Christ. And let us fight for a Biblical worldview and recognize those things that shape us and others. May the Lord grant us mercy.

Seeking to think rightly with you,

Joe