shall we get high on truth?

jueves, mayo 25, 2006

music review II: Nothing is Sound


In the midst of the music universe, I find either find secular music that is designed with the intent to entertain and excite one's own desires or I find fundamental music that is bold and stead fast with the intent to draw one nearer to God by worship. The question today is: Where does Switchfoot fall?

Being one of the most popular rock bands in the world, I'm almost positive you already have an opinion of them. Most people have very strong opinions of Switchfoot and I would love to hear yours (even if we disagree).

To tell you the truth, I had two main reasons I wanted to post music reviews. The first was to introduce you to my favorite Hispanic music artist. The second reason was to discuss Switchfoot. Whether you think they are too worldly or whether you think they are full of truth, I'd love for you to comment your opinion!

"What is true happiness?" asks Switchfoot frontman Jon Foreman. "Is it a comfortable four-door sedan with tinted windows? Does it mean I have 2.3 children and a beautiful wife and live in a great neighborhood? Everyone has their own version of what happiness means, but many of the things we're going for, and I include myself in this, are absurd. There's this moment in Jewish scripture, in Ecclesiastes, where it says, 'Meaningless, meaningless, everything is meaningless.' That's the place where our new record starts."

I've heard several times that Switchfoot is a Christian band. In fact Jon says himself, "Without some sort of external influence on the social plane, I find no logical reason why humankind didn't see her last day a long time ago." But one of the first things I was wondering when listening to the CD for the first time was why the lyrics seem so sad. "Lonely Nation" is full of depressing observations of this world and then "Happy is a Yuppie Word" continues the thought saying that "everything is meaningless". In this world where "sex is easier than love" and "we are the slaves of what we want" we seem to be toppling to the day when "the world caves in". How could people who suppousedly know hope sing these sad songs? Has Switchfoot gone into problems with depression? Or... are they trying to say something?

On the Switchfoot website, Jon says, "So in the half-light glow of radio shows, music videos, and greedy billboard charts I am aware of a darkness that is beyond me, I am coming to terms with my unbelief. No, I don't believe in rock and roll. No, I don't believe in the success that we've achieved. And no, I don't believe in me. In a free market world of the bought and sold I feel caught in between. I believe I've heard about a man who was exploited to sell everything from indulgences to the wars of men. And yet he offered only one bitter pill that was not easily marketed. Maybe that's what this record hopes to be: a simple bitter pill of truth that steps outside of our hamster wheel and looks up at the stars and beyond."

This is where the hopeful songs come in. The depressing songs were sung to open eyes to corruption and now Switchfoot throws in reassurance that there is hope. I didn't really like their noisy hit single "Stars" until I finaly realized the hope they try to communicate. The second verse goes:

"I've been thinking about the meaning of resistance
Of a hope beyond my own
And suddenly the infinite and penitent
Begin to look like home"

From there, they sing that when looking at the stars (the heavens) they see someone else other than the lonely faces here on earth. Does this song make any sense unless you think Biblically?

My favorite track on their CD is "The Shadow Proves the Sunshine". Not only is it jam packed with encouraging truth but it sums up what I think is the mission of Switchfoot. Yes, everything is meaningless, happy is a yuppie word, the world will cave in, we are slaves of what we want, we are crooked souls and sex monsters, we are tearing the the world apart... BUT, just hold fast till the break of daylight. The fact that the world is full of darkness proves that there is a light somewhere. In order to find it we must give the son of sorrow the fatal wound and let go of this
world that doesn't hold our interest. Then everything will be made new like freedom in the spring. Yes, nothing is sound... until the shadow proves the sunshine.

In the end, I have come to see Switchfoot as a bridge between those among that lonely and meaningless group of people to the golden and united place beyond the setting sun. Could they be a little more staightforward in presenting the answer to this world's problems? Yes I think they could be at times. But their approach to the lost people of the world intrigues me. I believe that these guys have been blessed with an amazing oportunity to have a huge ministry. Maybe we could learn a thing or two from these crazy dudes.

"The bitter struggle for meaning and truth in the postmodern world is a subject matter that I don't think I could ever exhaust.” (Jon)

martes, mayo 23, 2006

"My memory is almost gone but I remember two things: I am a great sinner, and Jesus is a great Savior."
~John Newton

viernes, mayo 12, 2006

Misunderstanding Jesus

There are all kinds of potentially cool movies coming out this summer! I wonder if Pixar can keep up their amazing reputation with creativity in a movie all about Cars! And in the previews, the special effects in Poseidon look really cool! Oh, and I’ll bet that the makers of the hilarious Madagascar have done it again with Over the Hedge! And, of course, my most anticipated movie this summer has to be very cool: Pirates of the Caribbean 2!

There is also one other big movie coming out in a matter of days. Millions of people all over the world have already read the novel. It is a story that entertains readers through historical controversies, mysterious works of art, interesting math and scientific facts, codes within codes, secret societies, and suspenseful chases through European cities. Not to mention, the core of the novel is a major religious controversy.

According to The Da Vinci Code, one third of this world’s population has been fooled into believing the greatest conspiracy of all time--the salvation of Jesus Christ. Yes, a man named Jesus existed way back when but the true story of Jesus is completely different then what you think. If I had to summarize the whole idea of the conspiracy into one sentence it would be like this:
Jesus never died for your sins although he was nailed to a cross and beaten nearly to death, he later escaped to the romantic country of France and married Mary Magdalene who was supposed be the real founder of the Christian church (although she wasn’t) and she had a baby who is the actual Holy Grail who is the key to eternal life but the Catholic church didn‘t like that so they rewrote the Bible to say what they wanted it to giving males more authority than before and hiding the truth which can be found today in the Gnostic Gospels. (whew!)

But, it is just a novel, right? I mean, what’s the big deal? It’s fiction! Nothing to worry about!

Unfortunately, many non-fictional works have come as a result of this book and many of them support several aspects of The Da Vinci Code. Educated historians and professional scholars are beginning to publicly promote the blatant attacks on Christianity with what they believe to be evidence that my Savior was just another man. The Da Vinci Code has stirred up an age-old controversy that asks, “How reliable is the Bible?”

To tell you the truth, Dan Brown does a lousy job explaining his theory of why the Bible is unreliable. His theory is that Constantine rewrote the Bible during those important councils he held and this argument easily falls on its face.

However, world renown scholar Bart Ehrman probably does the best job explaining why he believes that the Bible is not historically accurate and not the inspired Word of God in his new book Misquoting Jesus. My English teacher just so happened to have this book and let me borrow it for a couple weeks. This book is the real inspiration for this post.

Misquoting Jesus is a very discouraging book. Ehrman begins by explaining how he went to Moody Bible College to study for the ministry and eventually was led to believe that the Bible is full of errors and is therefore not the Word of God. With his education in the Hebrew and Greek languages he can read the ancient manuscripts himself and he speaks as if the whole Bible has been radically altered from the originals.

Of coarse, Ehrman wouldn’t have much of a case if he didn’t have evidence and examples. However, a small part of the book is dedicated to what he sees to be the best evidence that shows the fallibility of the Bible. I’m sure you already know that the manuscripts that we have are not without errors but most Christians believe that they don’t affect anything important. Ehrman claims that there have been drastic changes to the original theology and he’s got evidence!

Do you want to hear one of his best pieces of evidence? Are you sure? This could change your life completely! Be warned that the following information may open your eyes to the truth about your near and dear Bible. Proceed at your own risk…

Actually, I’m amazed that a guy this smart can’t do any better. Listen to this: In Mark 1 the Bible talks about how Jesus is baptized and God says, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” Ehrman says that some of the eariest manuscripts actually say “today I have begotten you” instead of “with you I am well pleased”. …so… yeah. This is one of his very best examples to prove that the Bible is unreliable. Right. I mean really, Mr. Ehrman, can’t you do any better? Doesn’t look drastic at all to me--what about you? Either way God still calls Jesus His Son.

Ehrman goes on to say that this is great evidence that the originals are completely different than what we call the Bible today. More changes like these were made between the time the books of the Bible were written to the manuscripts that we do have. Sure, go ahead and believe what ever you want to Mr. Ehrman but you’ve gotta admit that this evidence is pretty lame.

In the end, I’ve simply come back to the conclusion that the best evidence still points toward the fact that we have an amazingly accurate Bible. Ehrman and Brown act as if they’ve really found something by asking, “What if the Bible isn’t accurate?” But it seems that they still can stop us from asking, “But what if it is?”

This post has been kind of all over the place, touching topics that deserve books worth of discussion but it has been what I’ve been studying lately and it has been awesome. I just want you to leave New Focus today with this in mind: Maybe we’re just misunderstanding Jesus when we discuss these controversies. Can the God who is powerful enough to created everything be sovereign enough to give us the accurate and reliable Bible that He meant us to have? Yes, yes, yes, and yes!!

My friends! Years and years of handwritten copies are no obstacle for the Almighty! God has spoken! And you can listen! Is that not cool or what?