Christ and Culture

Here is how the psalmist describes the original Dead Heads:

They have mouths, but do not speak;
eyes, but do not see.
They have ears, but do not hear;
noses, but do not smell.
They have hands, but do not feel;
feet, but do not walk;
they make no sound in their throats...

(Pslam 115:2-7)

I once read somewhere the Grateful Dead were used by the CIA for the purpose of sidelining as many young people as possible. It is hard to organize a protest against an unpopular war when you are tripping on LSD. It makes one wonder. 

Plato said all culture comes from the top down. In other words, no one rises up from the grassroots and becomes a "star" without being chosen for that task by those at the top. If you go on YouTube and watch the Beatles lip synching their songs they look remarkably like The Monkees (TV version of the Beatles, for example > http://tr.im/kqfE).

The relationship between religion and culture ebbs and flows. Do we think Christ is FOR culture or is it Christ against culture? Hours are spent in seminary classes debating such topics. Meanwhile, on the streets ... here is a friend's poetic reflection on a recent murder on the shady side of town.

Here are a few free MP3s from Bill Ward of Crosswalk Ministries, a Christian artist who performs in prisons and loves it > http://tr.im/kqdd or you can hear him on his MySpace page >http://tr.im/kqe5

These are two creative examples of using our mouths, eyes, ears, and hands to embrace our fellow human beings in this broken world. The psalmist offers us one final suggestion:

"You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD!
He is their help and their shield." 

(Psalm 115:11)