Essential Music
This last week was the Superbowl. It’s pretty much “must see” TV for most of America. If you are not watching that night for the game than you probably still are because of curiosity about the commercials. This halftime show sparked an interesting debate. Who does 90’s hip hop belong to? It brought out the often overlooked Generation X, got a rise out of the Millennials, and left the Elder Millennials …Xelenials……Oregon Trail Generation….I don’t know what are we calling ourselves these days….trapped in the middle. Regardless, it was a “no holds barred” fight for who got to place the generational flag upon the hill of hip hop in the biggest of games.
And I found that fascinating. Music is often celebrated as a force that brings people together. It is claimed music unites people across a broad spectrum and you don’t need to be a certain age to appreciate music. I mean we all remember the era that hip hop grew up in right? Hair metal, Christian contemporary, pop, punk, hip hop, grunge, heavy metal, rock, country…we even had a swing resurgence, ska…and for like 6 months everyone was obsessed with Gregorian chants…
I am sure I forgot something. They were strange times.
Musical taste, much like our gifts and talents are a broad and diverse spectrum. But getting back to music as a force to unite people…is it true? Are we so divided at this point that even our entertainment is cause for disagreement? Or are we ready to admit that we are a quarrelsome people.
So how are we to engage in a culture that argues about everything? In a world that seemingly takes joy in everything that is wrong, how do we show them what is right?
It’s all about picking our battles. Being conscious about where we make our stands. That means you have to know what is essential, what is worth fighting for. You probably have never heard of the German Lutheran theologian of the early seventeenth century, Rupertus Meldenius. He wrote ten simple, yet profound words
In Essentials Unity,
In Non-Essentials Liberty,
In All Things Charity.
Over the next few weeks we will be taking each sentence apart and looking at what it means. But if you want a head start, I recommend you take a look at Romans chapter 14
Unity, Liberty, Charity
Sharing Joy Giving Hope
Ain’t Nothing but a God thing,
-Pastor Dan