Ranting Substance

Glenn on Arts & Ethics

"Ranting"- Talking in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner; scolding vehemently; speaking in a bombastic declamatory fashion

"Substance"- Essential nature, essence; ultimate reality that underlies all outward manifestations and change; practical importance

Years ago the Rolling Stone's Mick Jagger sang a telling lyric that I've often pondered, exclaiming: "It's the singer, not the song".

One might look at that phrase from any of a number of angles. Here are a few:

It IS the singer, in terms of the singer delivering a performance which my often captivate people even when the song (or entire set) is weak and lyrics perhaps without meaning, sense or truth. The life, character or simply stage presence of the singer may overshadow or even totally obscure what's being sung.

On the other hand, truly shoddy songwriting, performance and character in a singer may turn that line on it's head, exposing arrogance, debauchery, selfish indulgence on the part of the given singer.

Most anyone who cares about anything manifests passion about people, situations and causes. Anyone who has lived very long on this planet will from time to time (if not near continually) ahem... rant. Ranting, like singing and songs, can be a great and needed thing or can conversely, be a self-serving and even propaganda-dispensing thing where fiction masquerades as fact. Of course, there is the old axiom about "more heat than light" and there are surely times all of us relate to this as either ranters or the ranted-to!

I, of course, never rant and never have (uhuh...)! But if I ever did, I'd try to do it with substance.

Note that the very meaning of the term "substance" has to do with reality, and not in the sense of a reality of one's own making.

I'll never forget my pre-Christian days as a member of a band with guys several years older than I. It was, interestingly, called "Brimstone". One night after a long show in Milwaukee, the very (truly) intellectual lead guitarist and I were lunking a triple-15 in. speaker cabinet down the basement stairs of our bass player's house at about two a.m., having a rather esoteric discussion about reality. He quoted something I'd heard many times, but had never really thought much about until that moment. He said, "We create our OWN reality", and the context- which holds some truth with regard to our free-will choices- leaned more towards the sentiment that "we ARE our OWN reality", as in, "What each individual considers ultimate reality IS ultimate reality, period". When I understood that was his meaning, I replied, "Then you won't mind if I let go of my end of this speaker cabinet right now" as I was carrying it at the top of the stairs and he had a hold of it at the bottom.

Words contain power, but acting on those words, and the realization that spoken, written and sung words acted out are ever more powerful is important!

This is one of several reasons why I rant about "artistes" both Christian and otherwise who pontificate artfully with regularity while rarely paying serious attention to those who may take their words and examples seriously, even to the point of holding the artist accountable.

I've often ranted that such artists will take the public's applause, money and even hero-worship while rejecting any serious consideration of the very same public's questioning, sometimes calling them to account for their words, lifestyles and perhaps even immoral and destructive example, spiritually and otherwise. If my rant has no substance, then it is only a rant and can be disregarded out of hand. On the other hand, if truth is a concern, perhaps it's the singer AND the song we need to care for.

I cannot call for a practical holiness I don't live or work toward living out in my own everyday life. I sin, make mistakes, I rant and at times surely without true substance! When others listen to my words and lyrics, read my writing and watch my character it most certainly DOES NOT ALWAYS reflect Jesus Christ, much as I love Him and genuinely call Him my Lord. Yet I listen, am specifically and willingly open about my sins, and indeed in the practical am accountable to a pastoral team of people with whom I actually live.

In other words, accountability is a real thing, an essential thing, and has proved very beneficial in my life. The biblical, wise and kind input I've received over the years from those individuals who speak regularly into my life has directly benefited those who have heard and read my words and looked into my life. Why? Because linking with those who love God and me truly and deeply has affected my attitudes, character, words and other art offerings I've been blessed to produce. Those offerings- music, performance, speaking, whatever, all affect the audience to some degree or other, for good or ill. I take that responsibility very seriously and I'm afraid that many artists simply don't.

It must also be said that there are those artists who call for an artistic integrity (AMEN!) who rarely crack a Bible, dismiss prayer, reject authority or anything like biblical accountability, spiritual mentoring and discipleship from the local church. In such a context is it any wonder so many are better artists than they are followers of Christ?

In the Christian music scene we can certainly find propaganda, posing, the trite and the absurd being espoused as "real Christianity". I would beg the reader to face reality- there are indeed "Christian ghettos" but there are also "internal ghettos". Some who claim saving faith carry rubbish from their daily lives outside of and beyond "typical local church" settings and relationships. Their witness to the world of a loving, serious Christian faith is as negative as that of the traditional churches they so often criticize.

Jesus said, "...behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst." (Lk. 17.21) The Greek word used here translated "in your midst" literally means " within, among, in the midst, inside". The implication is clear: who you are, what you believe, how you live each moment either reflects His kingdom or it does not. Further, it isn't the kingdom of self but rather the kingdom of God that we are to be reflecting no matter what our spiritual gifts, spiritual or professional callings are. When the substance of your life surfaces, and surface it does, is it truly Christ's kingdom people catch a glimpse of?

Finally, another point one might draw from Jesus' words here is that one carries His kingdom into whatever scene they find themselves involved in, regardless.

I cannot but wonder at those who claim to live above and beyond the Contemporary Christian Music "ghetto" when they in fact regularly profit from Christians who live "in" that very same "ghetto". The prayer and financial support of believers underwrites a great many if not most of those artists espousing Christ in the mainstream.

At the same time, there are indeed many "hirelings" in the safe and often sterile environs of CCM-land and the church world who simply profit from the deals they cut.

I sometimes wonder if the one group truly "roars" all that much... and at the same time wonder how many in the other group are truly "lambs"? Perhaps as long as business is good it may not matter all that much?

I am NOT the Holy Spirit, admit to having produced shabby art and truly deficient verbal and lyrical statements over the past thirty years- though certainly not on purpose or merely for sake of sales! I'm certainly not sinless or perfect in all my attitudes, character and relationships. I'm not all that enamored with my own ability to communicate. But I'm desperate to hear the Lord and encourage all and any who will listen to move beyond safe, comfortable, often self-serving art-making where imagination often plants one in mental/emotional and even spiritual states of untruth and even despair.

I have a big mouth and hopefully a heart that is slowly catching up with it. I've seen a lot of artists make terrible choices based on singers and sometimes songs. We have a vision of self that we determine must be fulfilled, only all-too-often it is not the character of Christ we seek to emulate so much as the creative, magical artistry of those we find ourselves fans of. In my view, many are trapped in an "emperor's new clothes" syndrome.

The journey Christians who are artists share is a quest larger than personal fulfillment. This blossoming story we live must move us beyond the seeking of who we are, even beyond the sum total of our art and it's intrinsic OR practical value: "For to me, to live is Christ..." (Phil. 1.21).

"So", someone is asking out there, "what does he mean by THAT"? Good question.

I mean that it's not where you ply your trade, but how, with what heart, motive and attitude, and whether or not (when you rant) you rant with substance considering God's view of your thoughts, words and deeds? Loud, soft, in Nashville or L.A., Bangladesh or wherever: truth is truth. God grant us each grace to live it right where we are.

In conclusion, I'm certain from all I read in His Word, our heavenly Father cares a great deal about the song- but His Son died and rose with the singers in mind. Priorities have to be set accordingly.

I pledge to try and do better, taking the same advice I offer you now: when necessary, go ahead and rant! But if you're not going to rant with what God considers substance- keep it to yourself.

Posted 01/20/03