Response to Christianity: An Anchor for the Soul

In reflecting on Miranda's March 8, 2012, post, I think it is important to note that, The Script, and other musical groups have managed to cross over with their music within the popular culture realm with spiritual lyrical content and financially profited from the emotional attachment people develop with the music they create. The lyrics appear to speak for themselves and while Miranda notes how they have "touched and comforted her", music carries emotionally charged content, hence their attraction. Wherein we see the emotions expressed by Lady Gaga, Lil Wayne and Johnny Cash by the videos shown in lecture, we see the transcendence through words and images, takes people on the journey through the artist(s) vision of what Christ or religiosity means through their eyes.

In Dr. Harris's grouping of the, "transformationists", I see groups like Casting Crowns, Mercy Me and Hillsong, fitting in with this category, as they overtly wear their Christian message as a garment that they are proud of. The transformationists have not only had their music in the Christian entertainment industry, but also have transformed the praise and worship Christian ritual formats distancing themselves from using traditional hymns during church services. An example of this in particular, in one of my prior posts of Casting Crowns video/song Does Anybody Hear Her, it is not so much a spiritual song as it is relational to the masses. This scenario seems genuine but relatable to the transcending form of popular Christian/Pop Music that is changing the face of what we see of Christian artists. Lynch might categorize this video under all of his categories as it relates to popular cultures environment in contemporary life, has a missiological message, serve a religious function and takes in the medium of a "theological message" ( Lynch 2005:21) yet although the lyrics do not express a Christian reflection, the video uses a eclectic array of images to capture these sentiments.

Does Anybody Hear Her"

She is running
A hundred miles an hour in the wrong direction
She is trying
But the canyon's ever widening
In the depths of her cold heart
So she sets out on another misadventure just to find
She's another two years older
And she's three more steps behind

Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?
Or does anybody even knows she's going down today
Under the shadow of our steeple
With all the lost and lonely people
Searching for the hope that's tucked away in you and me
Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?

She is yearning
For shelter and affection
That she never found at home
She is searching
For a hero to ride in
To ride in and save the day
And in walks her prince charming
And he knows just what to say
Momentary lapse of reason
And she gives herself away

If judgement looms under every steeple
If lofty glances from lofty people
Can't see past her scarlet letter
And we never even met her

He is running
A hundred miles an hour in the wrong direction

Source: ALZ Lyrics.Com. 2012. March 19, 2012. http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/castingcrowns/doesanybodyhearher.html.


More importantly, the way this video illustrates the anxiety of the young woman trying to fit in this Christian environment (outside church), by trying to put herself together to go into the church in light of "Christian" congregational stares of disapproval. This demonstration of cliques in congregational dynamics, leaver others with feeling unwelcome in being the "outsider" looking in on the Christian environment. This seems to park Jesus' message at the door, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest", (http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Matthew-11-28/. American Standard Version (1995) March 19, 2012). 


In addition, I believe that Miranda has highlighted an important aspect of faith and spirituality in the contemporary North American landscape, as she spoke of Dr. Harris mentioning "it is a faith not a genre" (Harris 2012), where many secular observers see the rather hypocritical side of the many other spiritual messages that are floating around under the guise of Christian theology. 


While the integrationist singers like Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, and Carrie Underwood cross back and forth from popular culture and Christian music genres. The separationists like Marilyn Manson and Ozzy Osborne have opposite transcendent vehicles with demonic rituals to coincide with their vivid videos and lyrics that leave little to the imagination.

Unfortunately, the sad reality is that these music groups/singers are not just in the public forum to freely "minister" to the masses, but they are in the public sphere to make money and are in and of themselves a commodity that consumers gladly purchase with no relationship required. Self-identifying ones faith is not necessary, just make a few bucks at the expense of the Christian/Jesus narrative....appropriation is all apart of the need for entertainment. The sacred spaces of worship are becoming a the platform for commodification with the sale of books, videos and artefacts with evangelical ministries, yet this concept isn't new, just recycled from the uses (sale) of indulgences sold to pacify societies religiosity eclipse purgatory and transcend souls.