I was dial surfing the other day on the radio in my truck when I came across the song, “What If” on a Christian station. I could not find the author of the song, just the lyrics.
Please take a moment and read the lyrics………
What If
What if you're right?
And he was just another nice guy
What if you're right?
What if it's true?
They say the cross will only make a fool of you
And what if it's true?
What if he takes his place in history
With all the prophets and the kings
Who taught us love and came in peace
But then the story ends
What then?
But what if you're wrong?
What if there's more?
What if there's hope you never dreamed of hoping for?
What if you jump?
And just close your eyes?
What if the arms that catch you, catch you by surprise?
What if He's more than enough?
What if it's love?
What if you dig
Way down deeper than your simple-minded friends
What if you dig?
What if you find a thousand more unanswered questions down inside?
That's all you find?
What if you pick apart the logic
And begin to poke the holes
What if the crown of thorns is no more
Than folklore that must be told and retold?
You've been running as fast as you can
You've been looking for a place you can land for so long
But what if you're wrong?
I interpret this song like this: Someone is trying to witness Christ to another person. Instead of presenting the Gospel, this person decides to try ‘What if’s” instead.
“What if you’re right?”
“What if he was just another guy?”
“But what if you’re wrong?”
“What if there’s more?”
Those lyrics don’t say much about the relationship that the author has with the King of the universe. Instead of writing songs that express the deity of Christ and the majesty of God Almighty, the author chooses to write a debate disguised as a witnessing encounter.
In fact, this song is nothing more than Pascal’s wager wrapped up in nice catchy hooks to fill space on a particular FM station.
In a nut shell, Pascal argued that it would be better to bet that God exists rather than betting He does not. For instance; to believe in God is better than not believing in Him. If God exists and you believe in Him, as the argument goes, then your gain is immeasurable. If He does exist and you do not believe in Him, then your loss is immeasurable.
Pascal used this argument in hoping that it would covert people to Christianity that were not convinced of God’s existence.
Instead of using the power of the Gospel to convert a sinner, Pascal and the author of this song rely on human wisdom to achieve what only the Word of God, the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ can do.
Contemporary Christian writing like this is just as dangerous as the emerging church movement; full of nice sounding music filled with words that have nothing to do with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
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2 comments:
Wow did you ever nail this one, WD!
I've been a listener-supporter of K-Love Christian Radio for years, but I must be honest and tell you that I'm seriously considering sowing those dollars elsewhere in the Kingdom.
This comes after much agonizing over the ecumenical, emergent, heterodoxy they so frequently regurgitate from their on-air emcees to the artists they play.
And don't even get me started on their "K-Love Cruise Ship" promotions. Every time I think of the subject I imagine a boatload of bloated, pasty, plastic denizens of the professing church living it up in the Bahamas and gluttenously stuffing their already ample faces. I then juxtapose that mental image with the persecuted church in China, North Korea, Vietnam, the Middle East, and elsewhere in the world and feel sick to my stomach.
It's always precisely at that moment that the same passage in Revelation comes to mind wherein God Almighty projectile-vomits the repulsive church of Laodicea from His mouth.
God help us to be the faithful and true Body of Christ and may the King of Glory Himself reprove and rebuke the temple of Satan from our midst!
I think you're dead wrong, my friend. I agree with regard to much of Christian radio music, and I am sickened by it also. But not this song.
Obviously you are not called to witness to some of those out there who are so far away from the gospel and so mixed up from their post-modern thinking & ungodly church-goers they've known, that it requires a question like those in this song to open their hearts to even be willing/able to hear the gospel presented.
That is my calling. I do it almost daily. And God rebukes me when I try to take the position you take. Your position is your own business of course - and it will be in keeping with God's particular calling on your life (hopefully). Do not depise the work of God even when it doesn't make sense to your human logic. Touch not mine anointed and do my ministers no harm. His thoughts are higher than yours... these annoying little "milk" songs have often softened hearts & minds for me so that I CAN preach the meat of Christ & Him crucified - with effectiveness & resulting repentance, salvation & a surrendered life.
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