Country Music

When it comes to music I have always appreciated all types of music. Of course I can never get enough of my 80’s and I’m always up for some 90’s Hair bands, but for the most part I like all types of music. However, when it came to country music I have to admit that I used to make fun of it. When I listened to it, the girls always sounded pretty, but the guys sounded dumb. The words seemed to be a mixture of the blues and punk, sort of an “I-lost-my-dog-so-I-drank-some-beer-and-shot-my-gun” philosophy of life. In fact I used to say that if you spelled country backwards it starts with a “Y” (why?).  But lately something has changed and I’ve really been enjoying country music and I think I know why. In fact there are a few things I’ve come to love about country music.

First, I’ve come to realize how authentic country music is. Country music isn’t trying to be something it’s not. It’s not trying to change from one generation to the next or trying to come up with a progressive way to be country. Country music is what country music has always been, music from the heart of America expressing the true realities of life and how we deal with them. As far as I am concerned, country music is the real deal when it comes to my view on the way things work in this world.

Next, I’ve come to appreciate the way country music expresses its love for life. From pickup trucks to pickup lines and hunting with our dogs to hanging with our friends, country music has a unique way of expressing the essence of the love of life.  Love is what we were created to do and the more I listen to country music I find it easier and easier to express this myself.

And finally, even king David liked country music because I’m pretty sure Psalm 57 is a country song:

“I’m thanking you, God, out loud in the streets, singing your praises in town and country. The deeper your love, the higher it goes; every cloud is a flag to your faithfulness.”

When you take the authenticity of country music and the way it expresses the love of life, I believe you get pretty close to what the gospel is all about. A never changing God who loved us so much that he came down to express to us an authentic love to help us understand what life is truly all about.  

I’ll leave you with words of Eric Church “We need a country music Jesus to come and save us all”

Yeehah and Amen!