I Love You, Man

Rock and roll is the devil’s music.

This was an all too familiar refrain as I was a teenager navigating through the folk music scene.

Music has certainly served as a line of demarcation, if not an outright battle zone for generations.

An issue as volatile and controversial as musical styles will inevitably thrust itself into the Christian arena.

Since I became a Christian while a teenager, I saw these worlds collide as a part of my personal experience. I didn’t help matters that I was riding the coattails of the hippie generation, thereby considering not only my right, but practically an obligation to have long hair and ripped jeans. In an obvious attempt to avoid making a statement of conformity, we made a statement of non-conforming uniformity. This upset traditional minds, much to our delight. But now, our long haired, worn denim, guitar playing ways were about to clash with a generation that was not quite ready to abandon traditional “church mindedness”, which went far beyond wearing dresses and neckties to church on Sunday morning.

Along with questioning authority in general (“Down with the establishment” was the hippie refrain), everything was being questioned and challenged by the new generation. This included traditional religion and ways of worship. Some of these things probably needed to be challenged. The resulting attempt to press true Christianity into the new mold gave birth to such trendy exhibits as Jesus Christ Superstar and Godspell. In truth, I’m not sure these things were any more liberating in the quest for true Christianity, but rather more like a substitute for the dresses and neckties.

As Christians navigating through society, we do well to stay focused on legitimate truth. As a good friend of mine has said, “Don’t make mountains out of molehills or molehills out of mountains”.

Time tested scriptural truth will transcend generations. There is timelessness to the wisdom of godly people that we should seek out and appreciate regardless of their generation, culture or musical preference.

As for what really is the devil’s music…? I have my own opinion on that.