from the CD - Songs For Silverman
Take a walk
out the gate you go and never stop
past dollar stores and wig shops
quarter in a cup for every quaff
and watch the buildings grow
smaller as you go
Down the tracks
beautiful McMansions on a hill
that overlook a highway
There's riverboat casinos and you still
have yet to see a soul
Jesusland
Jesusland
Town to town
broadcast to each house, they drop your name
but no one knows your face
Billboards quoting things you'd never say
you hang your head and pray
for Jesusland
Jesusland
Miles and miles
and the sun's goin' down
Pulses glow
from their homes
You're not alone
Lights come on
as you lay your weary head on their lawn
Parking lots
cracked and growing grass you see it all
from offices to farms
crosses flying high above the malls
Along the walk
through Jesusland
Jesusland
What a great song. I think a lot of people would hear these lyrics and say, "But, Ben Folds isn't Christian! I have even heard him say swear words in his songs!"
This is the difficulty with labels. Labelling something "Christian" or "Secular" limits our accessibility to the little bits of ultimate reality present in those things. When Switchfoot, a band that traditionally was considered contemporary Christian, released an album in the secular market, most Christian radio stations took a break from playing their music. Evanescence, one of the best bands in music today, came out as a "Christian Band", but when one of the bad members was heard saying a naughty word, their music was pulled from the shelves of Christian stores across the country.
What makes me sad about this, is that Christians close themselves off from some statements that really touch on ultimate reality. The song above by Ben Folds really rings true. Read it. Test it, just like Scripture tells us to. Ben Folds professes a life committed relationship with Jesus Christ. He is much more effective telling stories in his songs that are true. Stuff doesn't always have to be wrapped, packaged, and marketed as part of the "Christian Marketing Machine" in order to be true. In fact, one could argue that such packaging may interfere with the truth. Just some food for thought.
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