A Thousand Years of Pop Culture
I came across this
very popular song- A Thousand Years (purporting to have over a billion YouTube
views of the official video for example)
and the name was interesting from a biblical stand point (Rev.20:1-7). The song
has a sweet melody (Isa. 23:16- this verse may be a helpful definition of the
music industry in general) and when examining the lyrics, we see the connection
of love with timelessness (let’s ignore the vampire theme for now). This
connection with love to eternity is in us because we are created in the image
of God who is love, (1 Jn.4:7-8,16) and makes sense in no other context. Jesus
himself is the divine embodiment of the fulness of this love of God (Col.2:9,Eph.3:19). This is not the context however that our culture recognizes, instead
our culture says, ‘believe whatever you want to make sense of existence- other
than Christianity because Jesus can’t be alone the only hope of salvation’ (ridiculously
akin to allowing different answers for the same math problem). I don’t intend on
making this the point here as we have in other posts, but to highlight the fact
that while all men know God (or are known of God- Gal.4:9) they do not like to
retain him in their knowledge and they become unthankful. (Rom.1:19-21)
This insolent mental orientation or this pomposity is
the state of those whose minds and conscience are defiled to whom nothing is
pure (Titus 1:15). They enjoy and appreciate the deep emotions of love found in
the soul that God made; most distinctly noted in the experience of ‘falling in
love’ with the one to become their spouse also in the love of parents, family
and children- yet they do not give God the thanks nor the glory for such life
altering and powerful experiences of ecstasy. There is an eternal element in
this experience of loving a person, calling them to the source of this love-
the eternal person of God. So, we see songs as ‘A Thousand Years’ and other
such like which talk of loving someone forever (and presumably not 1001 years).
Ironically perhaps is the fact that many or most (all?) of these singers go
through ‘lovers’ as rapidly as they go through automobiles reducing the idea of
loving someone to the equal plane of a child loving a new toy until it gets
boring. This cultivates the self-centered mind hardened in pride which values
people as only useful objects of pleasure. We see the scripture fulfilled which
shows us that the love of many waxes cold through their iniquity (Mt.24:12).
They mostly avoid the covenant of marriage as an instantiation of that ‘undying
love’ because when the inevitable divorce occurs it messes up the finances. I
might be too cynical here but it’s hard not to be when you watch our cultural
icons cavorting about like moral clowns. If we distill this down the love that they experience actually becomes the attraction and the goal;
where the person they currently love is just the momentary embodiment of their
love. Next year it will be someone else, but the chance to experience that love
is always the goal. It goes hand in hand with fornication and adultery (1 Cor.6:15-20, Mk.8:38)- the next attractive person is another chance for a
momentary pleasure reducing them to basically a virtual reality computer
simulation or a robot serving that purpose (which is becoming popular at
alarming rates). They actually are loving themselves- that is they love the feelings of love generated in their souls not caring where it came from or why
it exists.
To be able to skillfully
express these emotions from the soul is attractive to people and extremely
marketable. The ability to manifest this raw unfiltered soul emotion is the “X-
Factor” that T.V. shows, movies and singing careers are built upon. The
combination of “talent” with this “factor” is what makes “idols” in our
culture. Mostly skillful actors, actresses, singers, songwriters and musicians
manifest this emotion without inhibitions which when successful pulls these
same emotions from the viewers and listeners leaving them in a euphoric
emotional state (crying or laughing over movies and songs) and further leaving them with
the goal of mimicking the object of the emotion in their own lives as we become
what we love. (Plus, the emotional well can run dry -1 Sam.30:1-6). It is an ability beyond the mechanics of their physical skill (as
a technically skilled musician)- they are able to capture the audience’s attention
and impose feelings upon or entrance and enchant the audience. The audience
wants this experience like a drug and pay consistently well for it.
The soul is incorporeal, yet people can feel it or sense it in or around others; it is the
meaning of building rapport. The soul is the seat of love in people:
Genesis 34:3, 8 And his soul clave unto Dinah the
daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spake kindly unto the
damsel…And Hamor communed with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem longeth
for your daughter: I pray you give her him to wife.
1 Samuel 18:1, 3 And it came to pass, when he had made an
end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with
the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul…Then
Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
(see also)1 Samuel 19:2- But Jonathan Saul's son delighted much in
David: 1 Samuel 20:17 And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
Song 3:2 (also 1:7, 3:1, 3-4) I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth:
When people love each other or feel affection and desire
or delight in another they are sensing the persons unfiltered unrestrained soul
without pretense and it appeals to their own soul. (Pride is despised naturally
by people, well, except their own.)
Deut. 13:6 If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy
son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as
thine own soul…
Acts 4:32 And the multitude of them that believed were of
one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the
things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. 1 Thes. 2:8 So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.
2 Cor.7:15 And his inward affection is more abundant toward you…
Obviously, the soul is imparted through words and actions
as the carriers, however we are speaking of more of it being expressed than
perhaps the words alone can convey. Sometimes a singer might sing the same song
or a musician play the same melody or an actor repeat the same lines and one
instance it has something deeper expressed than another instance. They are
imparting more of their souls at one point than the other. Many Christians
mistake this impartation of a preacher or singers soul emotion which moves them
emotionally as the demonstration of the Spirit of God when it is not. This mistake will cost dearly. But when you maintain a steady diet of worldly pop-culture
your exercise in spiritual matters becomes an engagement with slothfulness (Heb.5:12-14,1 Cor.3:1-3, Isa.28:9-10) and you will be tossed to and fro, and carried about
by every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby
they lie in wait to deceive. (Eph.4:14)
