I stumbled across a syllabus for a course called Contageous Christianity and the second lesson is titled The Bridge of Popular Culture. In it, the author states that "We are all fish and culture is the water we swim in." He talks of two opposing views of contemporary culture, the "Christ Against Culture" stance versus the "Christ the Transformer of Culture" stance. Here's an excerpt:
"Fortunately, the "Christ Against Culture" stance is not the only one available to Christians. Another classic response to the "eternal problem" is what Niebuhr terms "Christ the Transformer of Culture." In my view, it is the most helpful one for Christians seeking, as Colson puts it, to "address the human condition at its point of felt need." An adherent to this perspective "finds room for affirmative and ordered response on the part of created man to the creative, ordering work of God; even though the creature may go about his work unwillingly as he tills the ground, cultivates his mind, and organizes his society, and though he may administer perversely the order given him with his existence."[4]
John 1:1-5 makes the point eloquently: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God, all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the light was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (RSV; emphasis supplied)
Simply put, God made all of us: the Christian and the unchurched, the accountant and the rock star, the professor and the junkie, the soccer mom and the screenwriter. Because He made us, He abides in us until the day we die. Because He abides in us, so too does His goodness, and though we may try to throttle or ignore or extinguish it, His goodness and mercy continually manifest themselves. We are spirit, we find no rest save in Him, at some level our spirits forever seek him, and this yearning is reflected in our cultural productions.
The Songs
One of the most striking demonstrations of this may be found by taking seriously the frequency with which spiritual themes—especially Christian themes—appear in popular music. Following are the lyrics from several compact discs. I didn't have to search far to find them. They're merely CDs which I happen to own. I've limited the number of songs to twelve, though I could easily multiply that number several times over. The lyrics fall into three, sometimes overlapping categories: those in which the Christian motif is obvious and affirming; those which reflect Christian values; and those which reflect what might be called a wrestling with God at the point of felt need. "
The first song on his list is Solsbury Hill. It is a song I always liked but never listened to that closely. When I saw the lyrics printed and the authors introduction, it hit me like a ton of bricks that I had totally been missing out by not actually hearing the lyrics:
"First on the list is Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill," from his maiden solo album in 1977. I have so far been unable to discover what prompted Gabriel to write the song, but it is impossible to miss several Christian elements: an encounter with the supernatural, who promises to take the singer "home;" a sense of disillusionment with and alienation from the world; a clear choice whether or not to follow this supernatural voice; and of course the obvious reference to Christ's first miracle. All in all, the song is a modern retelling of Paul's Damascus Experience.
Peter Gabriel, "Solsbury Hill"
Climbing up on Solsbury Hill
I could see the city light
Wind was blowing, time stood still
Eagle flew out of the night
He was something to observe
Came in close, I heard a voice
Standing stretching every nerve
Had to listen had no choice
I did not believe the information
I just had to trust imagination
My heart going boom boom boom
"Son," he said, "Grab your things, I've come to take you home."
To keepin' silence I resigned
My friends would think I was a nut
Turning water into wine
Open doors would soon be shut
So I went from day to day
Tho' my life was in a rut
'Till I thought of what I'd say
Which connection I should cut
I was feeling part of the scenery
I walked right out of the machinery
My heart going boom boom boom
"Hey," he said, "grab your things, I've come to take you home."
When illusion spin her net
I'm never where I want to be
And liberty she pirouette
When I think that I am free
Watched by empty silhouettes
Who close their eyes, but still can see
No one taught them etiquette
I will show another me
Today I don't need a replacement
I'll tell them what the smile on my face meant
My heart going boom boom boom
"Hey," I said, "You can keep my things, they've come to take me home."
For the rest of the article: http://radicalcivility.org/cc/bridge.htm
