Country Music – Good and Bad Theology

Written by Jared Vallorani

I love country music! It is America’s music. Trace Adkins said it best in his 2005 hit, Songs about me. The chorus states, “Songs about lovin and livin and good hearted women and family and God, yeah they’re all just songs about me.” Country music tells a story better than any other music out there. And generally speaking, Country music reflects a Christian worldview better than the neo-gnostic contemporary “Christian” music that dominates in evangelical circles today.

One of my favorite duos in country music is Brooks & Dunn. Brooks & Dunn exploded onto the scene with their 1990 debut album, Brand New Man. The duo’s first single, went to No. 1 in 1991, followed by the chart-topping “My Next Broken Heart,” “Neon Moon” and “Boot Scootin’ Boogie.” Their debut album Brand New Man has since sold more than 6 million copies. Brooks & Dunn are responsible for making me a country music fan.

Brooks & Dunn’s latest album, Cowboy Town, is doing extremely well. Their latest hit, God must be busy, has already climbed to #14 on the billboard charts. While I am happy for Brooks & Dunn, I am very unhappy with the lyrics of this song.

God Must Be Busy

That anchor man says they’re fighting again
Somewhere in the Middle East
The world prays for peace
There’s a single mom, just got laid off
Went and lost her job to some foreign hands
In some faraway land
Last night in Oklahoma
Some twister took thirteen
And they’re praying that they find the missing three
God must be busy

That highway sign went from slow ahead
To traffic’s dead, thought it couldn’t get worse
Then that Amber alert
They say she’s 4, Colorado plates
Heading out-of-state in a Chevy van
It’s hard to understand
You can see it in the faces
Of all those highway strangers
They’re praying that God keeps that girl from danger.
God must be busy

And I know in the big picture
I’m just a speck of sand
And God’s got better things to do
Than look out for one man
I know He’s heard my prayers
‘Cause He hears everything
He just ain’t answered back or He’d bring you back to me
God must be busy.

That evening news, ain’t much changed
Pretty much the same since I left home
Yeah, that war’s still on
They found that little girl
She was soaking wet, half scared to death
On the side of some road
Them prayers work ya know
And the bloods and crips are at it,
And there’s a killer drought down south
And old folks can’t afford the drugs they can’t live with out
God must be busy.

And I know in the big picture
I’m just a speck of sand
And God’s got better things to do
Than look out for one man
I know He’s heard my prayers
‘Cause He hears everything
He just ain’t answered back or He’d bring you back to me
God must be busy.

That anchorman says the fighting’s worse,
Cities burn in the Middle East
The world prays for peace

(Clint Daniels/Michael P. Heeney)

I pulled the following explanation for the song from Brooks & Dunn’s website.

Michael Heeney, “God Must Be Busy” Songwriter, Explains Inspiration For Song
1/11/08

The idea for God Must Be Busy came about one Sunday morning after attending a church service where it was suggested that with all the troubles and challenges in the world today, we might consider reserving our prayers for thanks and for important things. Between that thought and reading the paper that morning, it just struck me that God must have his hands full. The lyric is not insinuating that God can’t handle the chaos. It’s just expressing the idea that God Must Be Busy because of the degree of turmoil and chaos all around us. The lyric simply chronicles one humble man’s view of “these troubled times”. There’s a lot to pray about.

Since, I won’t have the opportunity to speak with Kix Brooks, Ronnie Dunn or Michael Heeney in person, I would like to respond to their latest song by breaking down some of the lyrics with what the Scriptures actually say.

“I know in the big picture, I’m just a speck of sand and God’s got better things to do than look out for one man.”

Psalm 139:1-18
O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

Luke 12
27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? 29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, 1neither be ye of doubtful mind.30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. 31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. 2“I know he hears my prayers, cause he hears everything. He just ain’t answered back yet, or he’d bring you back to me.”

Matthew 7
7 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Romans 8
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Some of you may be thinking, it’s just a song. Why are you making such a big deal about it? My goal as a father and a husband is to make sure that everything my family comes into contact with checks out with God’s Word. If it doesn’t, then we need to use these simple opportunities to train our families. Don’t let the world deceive you into thinking God isn’t in control.

Although we may not agree with the outcome of our prayers and requests, God is listening and actively interceding on our behalf.

Look at the rest of the lyrics in the song.

We are facing incredible trials in America; killer droughts, tornadoes, kidnappings, war around the world. It seems like we are experiencing the worst times ever in history. Unfortunately we tend to think in the here and now. A quick glimpse at history would show that we have seen periods of tribulation much worse than today.

What most people miss, including Christians, is God’s sovereignty over everything. We don’t want to believe that God is capable of allowing death and suffering. God is not oblivious or incapable of handling every issue we face as a human race. God is not too busy for us. You may not like the outcome, but God was there and ordained that event in your life.

We know from reading the Bible that God does allow tragedy to occur in our lives even as Christians. Take a look at these few examples:

Genesis 6
God saw man’s wickedness on earth and destroyed everything and everyone except Noah’s family because Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

II Samuel 12 & 18
The Lord afflicted the child that David and Bathsheba conceived because of David’s sin. The child died on the seventh day. David’s son Absalom was nearly killed when he struck a great oak tree while riding a mule. Joab and his men surrounded Absalom and threw three javelins into the heart of Absalom and killed him while he still hung from the tree. David cries out, “my son, my son Absalom. I would have died instead of you. 

Job
The entire book of Job tells the story of how God allowed Satan to take away everything Job had. I mean everything; wealth, family, health. You name it God took it away.

For those of you that think the Old and New Testaments have two separate Gods, meaning the God of the Old Testament was a harsh, judging God while the God of the New Testament in the form of Jesus, would love, forgive and turn the other cheek. Think again. While Jesus was all of those things, he also upholds the Old Testament law and we see God‘s wrath in the New Testament for sinning against him.

Acts 5
Ananias and Sapphira sold a possession. They keep back some of the profits from the sale of the possession but lead Peter to believe that they are giving Peter the entire amount. God judges Ananias and Sapphira and drops them dead on the spot.
We also know from reading the rest of the New Testament that those who were closest to Jesus during his ministry here on earth were persecuted and killed.

Romans chapter 9 summarizes this whole debate. Romans 9: 20 says that God is the potter and we are the clay. What right does the clay have to tell the potter how things should be?

Romans 9:17-23
For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.”[g] Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens. You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?” But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,

Teach your children to read and believe God’s Word. Teach them to be faithful, obedient and to fear the Lord. Use everyday ordinary occurrences like a song, to show them the deep and wonderful truths found in God’s Word.

All of us are going to face difficult times and great sorrow on this earth. Rest assured that God is not too busy to handle your situation or hear your prayers. Instead, embrace the Word of God and know that God was not sleeping or taking a lunch break when this tragedy occurred.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.

Other Sources:
Brooks-Dunn.com
CMT.com
Billboard.com
BibleGateway.com

Miracles or Signs?

 Written by Eric Rauch  on 11/1/2006

When is a miracle not a miracle? Answer: When it is a sign. This is not simply an exercise in semantics; it is an important theological point. Our English Bibles often treat the two words as synonyms, but this is not at all accurate. The “miracles” that Jesus performed were not merely supernatural events to amaze first-century Jews, they were intended to point to Him as the fulfillment of all that the Old Testament prophesied. “Jesus’ miracles are never simply naked displays of power, still less neat conjuring tricks to impress the masses, but signs, significant displays of power that point beyond themselves to the deeper realities that could be perceived with the eyes of faith. Jesus himself in this Gospel [John] refers to his miracles as and to his other activity as his ‘work’ or ‘works.’”1 A passage that I have been studying recently is a prime example of this principle and is most often misunderstood by modern readers.

In John 2, we read of the well-known event where Jesus turns water into wine. I am going to assume that most readers are already convinced that wine actually means wine, not grape juice. The context and the Greek are emphatic on this, so I will not bother to belabor the point. Notice that the passage begins, “On the third day…” This textual clue is not to be overlooked. Commentaries seek to understand this phrase in light of the time indicators from chapter one. Not only is this wedding in Cana on the third day from the inauguration of His public ministry (John’s baptism, Jn. 1:29-34), but this phrase should immediately put us in the mind of Genesis 1, especially in light of the language of John 1:1-5 (In the beginning was the Word, etc.). When we flip back to Genesis 1, we find that God (i.e. Jesus) created the plants on Day Three of creation.

Then God said, ‘Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them’; and it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good. There was evening and there was morning, a third day” (Gen. 1:11-13).

Realizing what is to follow, John is drawing our attention explicitly to Jesus as God. His miracle of turning water into wine is not meant to quench thirst but to point emphatically to Jesus as equal with God, the Creator of Genesis 1. Paul tells us the same thing in plain language in Colossians 1:16-17: “For by Him [Jesus Christ] all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” John is making the point that this Wedding Guest was much more than a magician; He held power over the created order. God made the grapevine on Day Three and Jesus transforms water into wine on “the third day,” proving that He is, in fact, God in human flesh. This “miracle” is actually a “sign,” meant to validate Jesus’ words and authority. The same God who “separated the waters from the waters” on Day Two of creation, was now standing among them, making water instantly become wine. “This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him” (John 2:11).

Much more is at work in this passage that is important to bring out. While I cannot go into detail in this short article, there are two other points that need to be made. Nothing in the Bible is mentioned without a reason; details in the Bible are often incredibly relevant to the overall narrative. John mentions two seemingly insignificant facts in this passage that make the overall meaning so much more than simply a miracle of drink preferences. The first is the six stone waterpots that were used to collect the water; and the second is the headwaiter’s declaration to the bridegroom in verse 10.

In verse 6 we read, “Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing twenty or thirty gallons each.” These waterpots would have been used for washing the hands of the guests before they ate, as in Mark 7:1-4. The large size and number of these waterpots tells us that this wedding party is no small affair; many guests are in attendance. It is in these same waterpots, which are used for the “Jewish custom of purification,” that Jesus chooses to perform his “sign.” This is not out of mere convenience; it is of the utmost significance. Remember what Jesus told his disciples at the Last Supper, “And in the same way He took the cup [of wine] after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood’” (Luke 22:20). The wine of New Covenant communion is made in the waterpots of the Jewish custom. Jesus is making a clear statement with His water into wine sign.

This particular miracle signifies that there is a transforming power associated with Jesus. He changes the water of Judaism into the wine of Christianity, the water of Christlessness into the wine of the richness and the fullness of eternal life in Christ, the water of the law into the wine of the gospel… Thus the imagery of the wedding feast is used with reference to the kingdom of God (Matt. 22:1-14; 25:1-13; Luke 12:36), and the disciples in the presence of Christ are likened to wedding guests rejoicing with the bridegroom (Mark 2:19). Again, the contrast of Jesus’ message with Judaism is illustrated by the wine and the wineskins (Luke 5:37ff).2

This explanation makes much more sense out of the words of the headwaiter when he tastes the “new” wine: “Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now” (John 2:10). The ways of man run completely counter to the ways of God. The headwaiter is the first to taste of this miraculous wine; he has no idea from where it has come. He assumes that this is the second batch of wine—since the first batch has run out—and fully expects it to be inferior; this was normal wedding protocol, as his words to the bridegroom make clear. But what he doesn’t realize is that this is supernatural wine, this is wine from the very hands of the Creator, the One who made both the grape and the water. The wine of the New Covenant far surpasses any quality of wine that man can produce. “John’s point is simply that the wine Jesus provides is unqualifiedly superior, as must everything be that is tied to the new, messianic age Jesus is introducing.”3 This miracle of wedding wine is much more than a magic trick for the ages. Jesus was giving a sign, a testament to His divinity and a confirmation of His earthly mission.

Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man. For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer. Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law; who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, “See,” He says, “that you make all things according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.” But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises (Hebrews 8:1-6).

1. D.A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (InterVarsity: Leicester, England, 1991), 175.

2. Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Eerdmans: Grand Rapids, MI, [1971] 1973), 176-77.

3. D.A. Carson, The Gospel According to John, 174-75.

Now I Can See

 Written by Eric Rauch 11/08/2007

Having recently returned from the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival, I can assure you that there is plenty of interest in the art of filmmaking within the evangelical community. This is a good thing and very much-needed if Christians hope to have any input and influence in the pagan-saturated media-marketplace of ideas. Although many Christians are waking up to the void of salt and light in the entertainment industry, most are approaching the solution from the wrong end of the camera. It is a well-established fact that bad or poor acting will kill even the most technically perfect film, and more often than not, most so-called Christian films fall into this category. Good intentions may get sympathy, but they won’t bring in viewers. Aspiring Christian filmmakers need to sit up and take notice of Bella, an adamantly pro-life film made by an adamantly Roman Catholic production company.

Because ritual and tradition play such a huge role in their worship experience, Catholics tend to recognize that it is not only what a person is saying, but how they are saying it. Since the overwhelming majority of Protestants have long since removed any form of liturgy from their worship services by declaring it a Roman Catholic abomination, they have been relegated to making films that closely resemble their word-centered worship services, complete with altar calls and organ music.

Film excels at metaphor—forging a connection between dissimilar objects or themes. It doesn’t fare as well with text messaging. Show, don’t tell, is the rule of cinema. Christians, however, can’t seem to resist the prospect of using film as a high-tech flannel board. The result is more akin to propaganda than art, and propaganda has a nasty habit of hardening hearts.1

Bella provides a perfect counter-example to this Protestant short-sightedness. Although it is a film that is primarily about abortion and the sanctity of life, first-time director Alejandro Monteverde never once uses the word “abortion,” or even “murder.” And even though it is intent on focusing the viewer’s attention on God as the Giver and Creator of life, “God” or “Lord” are likewise rarely mentioned. There is however, one brief scene where a blind street artist asks the female protagonist, Nina, to describe the beautiful day to him in exchange for one of his origami sculptures. As she walks away cradling her paper prize, we catch a glimpse of the man’s sign on the sidewalk in front of him: “The Lord closed my eyes and now I can see.” The scene is powerful in its subtleness. The words on the sign aren’t read out loud or spoken by either of the lead characters and the sign itself is on the screen for a quick second or two before it’s gone. It is a brilliant usage of word and image that the director allows to speak for itself, and the impact of the scene lingers long after it is over. Without feeling the need to bludgeon the viewer or belabor the point, Monteverde quietly shows us the Creator of life by introducing us to the creator of paper artwork. And just as God had to take away this man’s eyes to show him real sight, so Nina is about to embark on a journey of discovery of her own.

Since I believe Bella is best seen with as little knowledge of its basic story as possible, I will refrain from summarizing the film’s plot with much detail. Suffice it to say that it is about a young man who was on top of the world with the tiger by the tail when everything came to a screeching halt. José’s (Eduardo Verástegui) perfect life as a high-paid soccer pro ends in an instant and he hides himself from the world in his brother’s Mexican restaurant disguised in a thick black beard and a chef’s smock. When Nina (Tammy Blanchard), a struggling waitress in the restaurant, is fired for being late for the fourth time, José leaves the kitchen and follows her to the subway station. A long day of walking and talking ensues as José and Nina come to realize that each of them holds the key to the other’s dark and difficult past. Although José’s itinerary of activities throughout the course of the day are a bit hard to swallow as being purely extemporaneous, they are, nonetheless, exactly what Nina needs to see and hear. Instead of sermonizing, he is simply there for her, willing to jeopardize his own livelihood for the sake of her well-being. José is sympathetic enough to realize that Nina doesn’t need words, she needs company and someone she can trust. As Christians we need to learn this lesson too. Oftentimes we need to shut our mouths and show how much we care instead of constantly telling people of our concern.

1 Thom Parham, “Why Do Heathens Make the Best Christian Films?” essay found in: Spencer Lewerenz and Barbara Nicolosi (editors), Behind the Screen: Hollywood Insiders on Faith, Film, and Culture (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2005), 57.