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)