If you haven't ever listened to Gungor, it's about time you start. They're marketed as "Christian" but don't let that scare you off. They don't believe in sacrificing musical talent as an excuse to better sell more pointless, shallow bullshit. They're GOOD. The funny thing is, too, they say a lot of things that would rub most of the American Church the wrong way. (I.e. They believe that God and America are not interchangeable words. It's not exactly a popular idea around these parts.) So, it's almost as though maybe they are prophesying to the American Church, and should remain in the Christian market. Hmm...
ANYWAY, all that to say... their "Beautiful Things" album is one of the best works of art I've ever heard. Here are the lyrics to one of their songs. Called "God is not a White Man". It raised a lot of hell. People were accusing Gungor of claiming God is Love. Oh. My. Gosh. Where do they get this CrAaAazy stuff??!!?
God is not a man, God is not a white man
God is not a man sitting on a cloud
God cannot be bought, God will not be boxed in
God will not be owned by religion
God is love, God is love
And He loves everyone
God is not a man, God is not an old man
God does not belong to Republicans
God is not a flag, not even American
God does not depend on a government
God is good, God is good, and He loves everyone
Atheists and charlatans, Communists and lesbians
And even ol’ Pat Roberston, Oh God He loves us all
Catholic or protestant, Terrorist or president
Everybody, everybody
Love, love, love, love
K, me again. I think everyone gets all mad at stuff like this because we don't like the idea that people who "don't deserve it" or "are bad" or who "don't work hard" get the same treatment that we do. We're like, "What the crap, God!? You love THEM too? I'm the one who tithes! I'm the one who reads my bible every day! I'm the one who never drinks, smokes or swears! I'm doing all this work, and you love that person!?"
The weird thing is though, Jesus is all the time doing stuff like that. I mean, he tells that story of the lost son. And I mean, that younger son was super selfish and terrible. He was greedy and manipulative. All the while his older son was faithfully devoted to his father and never ran away from home, squandering his inheritance. But then, what does that father do? He welcomes the dirty, pig-smelling boy back as if he had never left! And the older, faithful brother is angry! (Luke 15:11-32) But that's the thing.... Jesus says stuff like this all the time! Remember that whole.... "tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the Kingdom before you" thing? (matt. 21:31)
I think we love and choose to live our lives in faithful devotion because, if we're truly Jesus followers, that's the only way we know how to BE Jesus followers. It happens organically. You don't have to tell a flower to look pretty and to smell nice. It just does, because it is being a flower. If we're doing all the great, faithful, devoted stuff just for fire insurance, or just to make sure we can say we're "christian" or just cause we are afraid to think otherwise then.... we're manipulative idolaters. We're Baal worshippers.
It doesn't matter if we're the only ones doing it right. It doesn't matter if we "deserve" it. God loves all of us--even Ol' ... Rush Limbaugh.
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