Are Modern Christian Songs Shallow?

When I was little, pastors used to preach against modern Christian music because the lyrics in them were too "lovey-dovey." The argument was that the words in them were too shallow, words that you would sing to your girlfriend or boyfriend, and certainly not something you should be singing to God.

As an adult, I have come to think differently on this subject, primarily because a short dissection of modern secular love songs proves to show exactly the opposite.

Think of popular lyrics in love songs: "You are my destiny." "You are the air I breathe." "You mean everything to me." "I'd die without you." Actually, those words seem shallow because they are words of worship. When the subject of those words is a human being, the philosophies behind them seem trite because they are suspect.

Early in our marriage, my husband and I agreed that we love each other dearly, but never in any sense of the word are either of us the other's "destiny." That is too high a burden to put on another person, because neither of us can handle being worshiped. In order to receive worship, one has to be incapable of failure, otherwise he will eventually betray the worshiper. When I understand that I should worship God but give my husband a break for being fallible, I can actually love my husband more. That's called "freedom."

Now if we apply those quotations above to God, they make all the sense in the world. God is the air I breathe. God does mean everything to me. These words are no longer trite because they now can be sustained by a non-failing Subject that is worthy of them.

Humans in love can and should sing love songs to each other. I'm not saying they shouldn't. However, the problem is not that Christian music has become shallow. The problem is that modern secular music has become worship.

Ancient Temptation Trumps Modern

I used to think that people were so primitive and misinformed as to worship things like the sun, moon, stars, weather, etc.. I mean, didn't they realize how lame it sounded to sing an "Ode to Spring"? I furthermore was baffled as to how these ancient cultures, when converted to Judeo/Christianity and learning of the True God, were somehow tempted into falling back into this element worship. How in the world would that even be a temptation?

A short anthropological study will attest to my ignorance. After all, without modern conveniences like dishwashers, bathrooms, central air/heat, refrigerators, and stoves; we too would be tempted to worship the elements. Just think how a daily activity like going to the bathroom would affect you if you had to do it while living in a rustic cabin in the dead of winter. Couple that with the fact that God is invisible to physical eyes, and you will quickly understand how powerful physical properties like wind and rain are much easier to comprehend and therefore deify.

Moreover, think also of how an ancient would view our idolization of other humans just because they can do acts so trivial as singing, dancing, or the most ridiculous of all: pretending to be someone else on a big screen! Our modern-day hero worship is truly absurd. At least former cultures worshipped things that actually affected their lives. I mean, the elements still affect our lives even with modern convenience!

I mean, is Scarlett Johansson going to help my crops grow? I don't think so. . .





photo from: https://www.google.com/search?q=sun+moon+stars&hl=en&qscrl=1&rlz=1T4AURU_enUS502US503&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=N-qDUcauH4me8gTbu4HwAw&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1093&bih=419#imgrc=OniOrPcVirvIeM%3A%3B3m86YW9baN3iiM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fi62.photobucket.com%252Falbums%252Fh81%252Fbabyrican692%252FWallpaper%252FSun-Moon-Stars.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fmobile-wallpapers.feedio.net%252Fsun-moon-stars-and-clouds-mobile%252Fvaldosta.edu*~achampton*ebooknightsky.png%252F%3B700%3B700