Pop Culture and God

Some people might find this post a bit controversial but I believe God can talk to us in many different ways - yes he can speak to us through sermons, prayers, worship and most importantly through his Word. I know he speaks to us and we can worship him through Christian songs.

I also believe God uses popular culture to speak to us, especially when are ears are closed, our hearts are hurting and he is unable to get through to us any other way. As a guy I knew in All Souls says "Truth is truth whoever may say it, and because people are made by God they can't help discovering and passing on truth"

And God will use these truths to nudge, sensitize, awaken and embrace us.

A few years back I was not in a good way and my walk with God was going a bit wayward, and I listened to a lot of music as it helps me keep sane, especially when I was living in London and needed to drown out the world when it got too noisy.  A band I listened to a lot was U2 and I gained solace in the words of the songs and God used them to speak to me and reach out to me.

I know a lot of people will think, this is nonsense because many people despise Bono and U2, but in my opinion they are good and a lot of their music has religious undertones to it.

I am not  again in the words of my wise friend suggesting " that songs should be elevated to the level of Scripture or should replace sermons and Bible Studies, but simply to point out that if we ignore popular culture we could be ignoring a channel through which god makes himself known".

And as Patty Heaton (actor) says 2" The beauty of Christianity is that we can enjoy the blessings God has bestowed upon non-believers. God blesses whomever he chooses with talents, and we can all reap the benefits".

And I know am not the only one who this has happened to, as I know of a Minister who was helped through a period of very bad depression by the music of U2 as well.

One such song that I kept listening to is "40" which is basically the words of Psalm 40 taken and put to their music:

"I waited patiently for the Lord
He inclined and word my cry
He brought me up out of the  pit
Out of the miry clay

I will sing, sing a new song....."

I couldn't concentrate on the written words in the Bible, but the words song into my ears did speak to me.

There are other songs and other words which got me listening.  There are the following lyrics from 'I still haven't found what I am looking for'....

"I believe in the Kingdom Come
Then all the colours will bleed into one
Bleed into one
But, yes, I'm still running

You broke the bonds
And you loosed the chains
Carried the cross of my shame
Oh, my shame, you know I believe it"

And more recently on their new album Songs of Innocence there is a song called "Song for Someone" which says:

"If there is a light
You can always see
And there is world
We can always be
If there is a dark
Within and without
And there is a light
Don't let it go out

And I'm a long way
From your hill on Calvary
And I'm a long way
From where I was, where I need to be"

This spoke to me because the last few years have been a real journey for me and I am now along way from where I was, and have climbed some hills and gone down some valley's but I am a long way from where I was, but I also know I am a long way from I need to be.

I will leave you with the following lyrics from 'Magnificent'

"Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love unites our hearts
Justified, till we died you and I will magnify,
Magnificent, magnificent, magnificent"


There are other songs that God has used to speak to me, soften my heart and make me sit up and listen, but that will have to be another blog post.





NB: the quotes from a guy I knew in All Souls were taken from his new book "Pop Cultured" by Steve Turner