Monday, October 12, 2009

Disappointed

Haven't felt the urge to blog much lately. But today, Derek Webb has changed that.

Derek Webb used to be a member of the band Caedmon's Call. He has since gone solo and produced some very unique and thoughtful music.

"What Matters More" does not first bring the word "thoughtful" to mind, and I would not recommend listening to it. Apparently, Derek Webb has been listening to too much Tony Campolo and not enough God-inspired Holy Bible. Mr. Webb likes to attack the church instead of sin. He has called the bride of Christ a whore and has since become far more vulgar. It is true that Christians are called to love sinners. But Mr. Webb has drawn the church to be something it is not and then spoken with horror of what he is seeing. It is accurate to say that the "church" in America is not as a whole a faithful, unified, and loving body. But the church, the true church, is not made up of the unrepentant that we so often see in what most would call the "church."
Furthermore, Jesus said that there would be many who professed Christ that were not, in fact, saved, in Matthew 7. So this church that Derek Webb constantly feels the need to attack is not the true bride of Christ anyways. And where do we start with anyone who is spiritually dead? With the Gospel, the power of God unto salvation. Derek Webb can talk about what Christians should do all he wants, but if the people he's trying to sway are not even Christians, what good is he going to do? They need the Gospel!

Aside from the mistaken origin of his usual stance, the song specifically is based off of an erred opinion. Apparently, the church as a whole is just hating homosexuals and waving off the many thousands of people dying of AIDS. (?!?!?) I guess that this means that Fred Phelps is the best representative for the church?? Every feeling revolts! I don't claim him. And apart from him, I cannot think of any Christians that hate gays. So either Derek Webb thinks that speaking out for the sanctity of marriage is equivalent to hating homosexuals or he doesn't know any Christians besides Fred Phelps. Yikes! A true Christian is not going to hate a homosexual because a true Christian understands this: we are all totally depraved and in desperate need of a Savior. Homosexuality is a sin, and Christians should be able to say so assertively without other Christians accusing them of hatred.

And apart from all of this, Derek Webb has lowerd himself to the common vulgarities so popular in a shockingly crass culture. He doesn't sound like a Christian, but still feels that he has the position to be beating other Christians over the head about something that is not the main point. Even if we were to all be working to end AIDS, if the gospel were not shared, all of these people without AIDS would still end up in Hell. Which to me is a good deal more horrifying than having AIDS. I'm not saying even a little tiny bit that we shouldn't care about people with AIDS (or whatever physical ailment), but God and the gospel still have to be the main thing or we won't have helped a single person.

Read your Bible, Derek.