Except Footloose doesn't Fancy being Free.
"He is testing us," pontificates the preacher. The father of the boy who died in a tragic car accident with four of his friends consoles his congregation by insisting that there is a lesson to be learned somewhere in this tragedy. God allowed this to happen for a reason.
This is how the remake of the epic 80's film, Footloose, opens. I cringe. I shutter. The problem is not that Hollywood has distorted the church's view of God. It is that they have broadcast our pathetic patronizing for everyone to see.
I admit that I have never experienced tragedy quite like this one. I cannot begin to imagine it; neither do I want to try. But there seems to be some sort of coping mechanism within humanity that wants to believe something or someone is in control, that everything happens for a reason, and that some good will somehow come out of tragedy. Sounds nice, does it not? If there is some grander purpose, the tragic loss seems somehow manageable.
But blaming an accident on God is only a temporary fix. Because you will have to turn around the next day and do something for that God. And who wants to serve a teenager-killer? Not me. (And do not give me the line about him "allowing" it and not "causing" it. That's for another blog post.)
While we are talking Hollywood, a scorned Demi Moore was interviewed recently. When asked about her husband's (Ashton Kutcher) affair, she smugly answered, "Nothing happens on accident." Really, Demi? Some greater cosmic force (God or whatever else you want to call that Great Puppeteer in the sky) manipulated your husband into cheating on you? Was it not his fault? Your fault? Oh, that's right, everything happens for a reason.
Allow me to very explicitly deny some very popular theological statements:
1. "God is in control." Clearly, he is not. He has relinquished much control to Satan and humanity. Satan's third temptation of Jesus was not an empty offer.
2. "Everything happens for a reason." That's crazy talk. I am no robot.
3. "Nothing happens by accident." This is just a corollary of #2. More crazy talk.
These phrases sound nice. But there is a reality that flies in the face of these Christian cliches:
Free Will
Monday, October 24, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Free Will: Artistic Evidence
Art as evidence would be a paradox to some. But sometimes art is the best way to describe or validate something. Artistic reinforcement of truth is why a preacher tells a story in his otherwise scientific sermon.
Free Will is theologically scientific. But maybe it is best expressed in the words of a song. Actually not the words. Rather, it is evidenced by the myriad of free choices that make up the presentation of that song.
As a vocal artiste, I can offer highly personalized experience that proves the existence of Free Will - which, if I may reveal my bias, is the greatest gift of God's grace ever given to humanity.
As a worship leader for 20 years, I have had the tremendous artistic pleasure of offering up musical self-expressions to a congregation or audience literally thousands of times. I am sure I have sung certain songs hundreds of times. And as a painter will never produce the same brush strokes twice, I can say with a high degree of certainty that I have never sang a song the same way twice. Ever.
Posture. Breathing. Vocal Health. Tone Placement. Articulation. Vowel Formation. Volume. Pitch. Facial Presentation. Passion. Sincerity. Confidence.
These are just a few of the major categories of factors that influence one millisecond of sound that protrudes from a singer's body. When a singer has a handle on several of these categories, we may not recognize the categories per se, but we simply call them a great singer. We do not ponder the numerous involuntary (habitual) and voluntary (intentional) choices that make up a single note of a song, let alone the perhaps billion micro choices that make up an entire song. This, my friends, is Free Will in a rich artistic form.
If a singer delivers a song with several of these major categories in tact, we unassumedly say they have great control. What we are saying is that they have the ability to make their body, mind, and spirit do exactly what they want. The notes come out beautiful, tuned, stylistic, interpretive, communicative, forceful, graceful, effortless, provocative, believable, free. Free.
When we sing, we sing a song of freedom.
Free Will is theologically scientific. But maybe it is best expressed in the words of a song. Actually not the words. Rather, it is evidenced by the myriad of free choices that make up the presentation of that song.
As a vocal artiste, I can offer highly personalized experience that proves the existence of Free Will - which, if I may reveal my bias, is the greatest gift of God's grace ever given to humanity.
As a worship leader for 20 years, I have had the tremendous artistic pleasure of offering up musical self-expressions to a congregation or audience literally thousands of times. I am sure I have sung certain songs hundreds of times. And as a painter will never produce the same brush strokes twice, I can say with a high degree of certainty that I have never sang a song the same way twice. Ever.
Posture. Breathing. Vocal Health. Tone Placement. Articulation. Vowel Formation. Volume. Pitch. Facial Presentation. Passion. Sincerity. Confidence.
These are just a few of the major categories of factors that influence one millisecond of sound that protrudes from a singer's body. When a singer has a handle on several of these categories, we may not recognize the categories per se, but we simply call them a great singer. We do not ponder the numerous involuntary (habitual) and voluntary (intentional) choices that make up a single note of a song, let alone the perhaps billion micro choices that make up an entire song. This, my friends, is Free Will in a rich artistic form.
If a singer delivers a song with several of these major categories in tact, we unassumedly say they have great control. What we are saying is that they have the ability to make their body, mind, and spirit do exactly what they want. The notes come out beautiful, tuned, stylistic, interpretive, communicative, forceful, graceful, effortless, provocative, believable, free. Free.
When we sing, we sing a song of freedom.
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