Chapter 1 - God’s Secret Agents
I swear that music is the only think keeping my faith alive sometimes. The funny thing is that it is not the music that I would expect that usually gets me. I can’t seem to find a common theme or style, but once in a while a song will hit me and I think that is the song I need right now. The thing is that when I feel this I am not always sure what it is that is affecting me at the time, and so I have to listen to it over and over again until I either figure it out or I wear off the magic by listening too many times.
This happened a couple of months ago with a song from a new Frou Frou album. I generally don’t buy electronica, but when I do, it has to have plenty of originality, and plenty of depth. I remember listening to Depeche Mode when I was in jr. high school. I bought myself a Walkman Sport (if ever there was an icon of the eighties gadgets, that was it. The iPod has nothing on the Sony Walkman) and I would clip those little earphones in and I feel the anticipation of full immersion. Then i would palm my little yellow machine and thumb the play button and close my eyes, falling backwards into this music that spun around my head, with small flashes of sound from every direction. Enjoy the silence became my theme song...words are very unnecessary, they can only do harm. Didn’t St. Francis Asissis say something like that? if necessary use words. Frou Frou is like that. Space. Crisp. With nice warm tones and lavish orchestral pads. I needed that space.
With the projects lined up in the garage, a new family to contend with, and work following me around like an old black lab; nice to have around but a bit annoying because it’s always underfoot, mental space was not something I was flush with. Low on mental bling.
I feel that we owe God a bit more credit these days with the arts. God is, after all, the guy that created creativity. We have set up these nice categories for our music: Is this a Christian band? Did you realize that Christian Music is the only music that is evaluated for it’s subject matter, rather than style or proficiency? There seems to be an idea in mainstream church culture that Christians should only listen to Christian music, but why? We listen to make sure the song says God in it somewhere as proof that it is suitable for our virgin ears, but we often forget to listen for a good melody, well arranged sounds, and sheer talent. I will readily admit that there are some bands that Christians should shy away from listening to, but to categorically disengage from culture not only limits God, but limits the ways he can speak to us. I will admit here that there are people who struggle with all sorts of problems and addictions, some of which may be exacerbated or encouraged by music of dubious morality, to those people, don’t take this as a licence to stumble. Listen to God, he’ll tell you what you should do.
Which brings me to my point: Listen to God when you listen to all music. The Holy Spirit, who is in us all, was put here for the purpose of guiding us through the quagmire of this life. We need to let him speak. If you listen to Frou Frou and get a dark feeling of dread...well, turn it off. I personally feel that there is a level of artistry in music, movies, and art that all artists achieve with the same spirit of creativity, given by God, even if they do not know they are using it for his ends. I like to think of them as God’s secret agents, except the secret is hidden from the artists themselves as well. I do not know where the people behind Frou Frou’s song Let Go stand on their journey to God, but I do know that when I needed some encouragement, and some way for my mind to find the space to sort some complex life junk out, he cast his spirit into the words and sounds of the song and let me revel in the combination.
So let go, let go
Jump in, oh well what you waiting for
It’s alright, because there’s beauty in the breakdown.
And so I listened, and God worked on his own grand symphony in which I am nothing more than a note on a staff, played by the angels and distracted by the demons. In the end it all seems to come out like he planned in the end. The saints and the secret agents all work for him, the Singer...and I am sung.
Just don’t tell Frou Frou that they are now a Christian band, they might be ruined in the knowing.
This happened a couple of months ago with a song from a new Frou Frou album. I generally don’t buy electronica, but when I do, it has to have plenty of originality, and plenty of depth. I remember listening to Depeche Mode when I was in jr. high school. I bought myself a Walkman Sport (if ever there was an icon of the eighties gadgets, that was it. The iPod has nothing on the Sony Walkman) and I would clip those little earphones in and I feel the anticipation of full immersion. Then i would palm my little yellow machine and thumb the play button and close my eyes, falling backwards into this music that spun around my head, with small flashes of sound from every direction. Enjoy the silence became my theme song...words are very unnecessary, they can only do harm. Didn’t St. Francis Asissis say something like that? if necessary use words. Frou Frou is like that. Space. Crisp. With nice warm tones and lavish orchestral pads. I needed that space.
With the projects lined up in the garage, a new family to contend with, and work following me around like an old black lab; nice to have around but a bit annoying because it’s always underfoot, mental space was not something I was flush with. Low on mental bling.
I feel that we owe God a bit more credit these days with the arts. God is, after all, the guy that created creativity. We have set up these nice categories for our music: Is this a Christian band? Did you realize that Christian Music is the only music that is evaluated for it’s subject matter, rather than style or proficiency? There seems to be an idea in mainstream church culture that Christians should only listen to Christian music, but why? We listen to make sure the song says God in it somewhere as proof that it is suitable for our virgin ears, but we often forget to listen for a good melody, well arranged sounds, and sheer talent. I will readily admit that there are some bands that Christians should shy away from listening to, but to categorically disengage from culture not only limits God, but limits the ways he can speak to us. I will admit here that there are people who struggle with all sorts of problems and addictions, some of which may be exacerbated or encouraged by music of dubious morality, to those people, don’t take this as a licence to stumble. Listen to God, he’ll tell you what you should do.
Which brings me to my point: Listen to God when you listen to all music. The Holy Spirit, who is in us all, was put here for the purpose of guiding us through the quagmire of this life. We need to let him speak. If you listen to Frou Frou and get a dark feeling of dread...well, turn it off. I personally feel that there is a level of artistry in music, movies, and art that all artists achieve with the same spirit of creativity, given by God, even if they do not know they are using it for his ends. I like to think of them as God’s secret agents, except the secret is hidden from the artists themselves as well. I do not know where the people behind Frou Frou’s song Let Go stand on their journey to God, but I do know that when I needed some encouragement, and some way for my mind to find the space to sort some complex life junk out, he cast his spirit into the words and sounds of the song and let me revel in the combination.
So let go, let go
Jump in, oh well what you waiting for
It’s alright, because there’s beauty in the breakdown.
And so I listened, and God worked on his own grand symphony in which I am nothing more than a note on a staff, played by the angels and distracted by the demons. In the end it all seems to come out like he planned in the end. The saints and the secret agents all work for him, the Singer...and I am sung.
Just don’t tell Frou Frou that they are now a Christian band, they might be ruined in the knowing.
posted by creativisualist at 9:41 AM
3 Comments:
I hope you don't mind a stranger posting on your blog. I found your blog through Reyna's. Reyna and my wife, Emily, used to go to school together at Mount Royal in Calgary.
Anyway, I really enjoy your thoughts and your introspection. Frou Frou is a great band and is attached to some cherished memories for me. Check out the Garden State soundtrack. Also, (free advice), I just read a book called "The Traveler's Gift" by Andy Andrews. I cannot say that it changed my life, but it helped me look at myself and my situation in a more proactive way.
Good luck. I'm very interested to keep reading your blog.
Take care.
Ken (I assume...please correct me if that's wrong) I am excited you posted. I think some of these thoughts do not reach their full potential unless there are people 'out there' to read them. So feel free, and post your thoughts too.
The Garden State soundtrack is where I 'discovered' Frou Frou...and new revelation to me: Frou Frou is essentially Imogen Heap, who has TONS of albums. Good stuff too. Check it out. She's amazing.
kenola,
If I read your profile right, I need to ask you a question:
Maybe you can set me in the right direction, I am just starting my first full-lenght book layout...what major mistake should I avoid?
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