Is Music Good or Evil?

Once upon a time there was a young man, aspiring to be something great. I never knew his name, so let's just call him John. I don't know who told John's story, of if it's even true, otherwise I would give credit where it is due. I'm not really sure that I have John's story just right, but its an important story nonetheless. John, in his eagerness to be something great, somehow got involved in a satanic cult where he was a witness to many terrible things that haunted him day after day. John wanted to leave but he was trapped. His life seemed pretty bleak. Finally, the Lord saved him. He was saved from the cult and saved from his sins. In gratefulness and love, John decided to go to church to worship the Lord. Everything was going along fine at John's new place of worship, even though it may have felt a little bit new and awkward, until something happened. This thing that happened shocked John, and scared him to the very core so that he ran out of the church screaming. What is so terrible that could have happened at church that day to frighten the young man who wanted to be someone great? The organist began to play a Bach prelude.

Bach is pretty well known in the music world, even by folks who aren't keen on classical music. You've heard his music at weddings, in churches, while waiting on hold on the phone, and I'm sure in shopping malls and elevators. But Bach did so much more than that. He was a prolific writer of church music, putting together countless preludes, postludes, and cantatas. He wrote for organ, for harpsichord, and he wrote for voice. And although he was a bit short in stature - he had to play the organ with his tippytoes- and probably a might bit grumpy - Bach loved the Lord and signed all of his works, Soli Deo Gloria: to the Glory of God Alone.

So if Bach was so committed to writing music for God's glory, and the organist was playing this Christ-devoted music in a worship service, why did it frighten our poor John? Because the satanic cult also used Bach's music and upon hearing it in the church, John was afraid that the church was no different than the awful cult. It was a terrifying ordeal. Hopefully he ran straight to another church that didn't play any of Bach's music!

What does this maybe/maybe not true story tell us? Well, it tells us that music is not inherently Christian or non-Christian. Music that has been written for the Lord can be used by the wrong person for the wrong thing, regardless of who wrote it and why. It's certainly harder to skew lyrics already written for the Lord, but I suppose it's possible. For John, Bach's music appeared to be satanic, and certainly not Christian.

The story also tells us that we need to be aware of our context. What is worshipful to some is downright fearful to others. Compassion and a sensitive heart will go far in understanding someone else's needs to worship with a particular style or type of music. In John's case, he needed to worship God with music that wasn't used by the cult where he had been a participant. Had the organist been aware of his needs, she might have been able to chose something else that didn't scare John away from the church.

John's story also reminds us of the power of music. The right music can evoke fear or love, hope or disappointment, joy or sorrow. When we use music in the context of a worship service, we need to be careful not to attempt to manipulate our congregation, rather, our job is to create opportunities to meet with the Creator. Of course the organist didn't intentionally frighten John, on the contrary, she probably had very good intentions in selecting the music for that particular worship service. .

So whether you've read John's story before, or you think I just made it up, you can still see the weight that music can carry. It is important that we approach our church music with prayer, and hold it up to God's measuring stick. We may offer opportunies with our music, but it is only God that can truly change the heart.

Oh, and by the way, be on the lookout for John, I hope he's not still running away from the church!