By Bernard McDonagh
Email: berniemusic@yahoo.com

Have you ever heard someone mention 'the Blues', and wondered what it was? What is this music called the Blues? Well, there are certain chords and scales, certain ways of phrasing, and a certain musical structure or 'form'. These things give the Blues it's unique sound and musical identity. But the Blues is much more than just these things. It's really a musical language, and a powerful vehicle for the expression of feelings and emotions.

The Blues began as the music of African Americans in the south of the USA. Close to the heart of the Blues are the 'spirituals' of the slaves; both in terms of structure and emotional content. Most spirituals spoke of the yearning for freedom. Many described the hardships the slaves endured, even using the sufferings of the Israelites in Egypt as a type of their own. The songs also expressed faith and hope in God. They sang as a means of encouragement, even though they were singing about their troubles. There's therapeutic value in letting your feelings out!

There's a connection between those early spirituals and the Blues, and similar themes emerge. Blues music often talks about a difficulty someone is going through. In many ways it's really a poor man's music; you don't normally hear a rich man singing the Blues. The music developed many regional characteristics too. For example, there's acoustic-guitar-based 'Country Blues', 'Delta Blues', etc., and the Blues of big cities like Chicago has a very different sound to the Blues down in Texas, or the Mississippi Delta.

As well as being a true musical tradition in it's own right, the Blues is also important as a forerunner of other musical styles. Rock and Roll music is it's direct offspring, and the basic language at the heart of Jazz is the soulfulness of the Blues. Still, despite this history, I feel that much Blues music today is unworthy of it's origins. In my view it has lost a lot of it's humanity and spirituality; some cases being worse than others. The music has also became very commercialised, though less so than many other forms of music.

Unfortunately, all expressions of our human hearts are tarnished as a result of our sinful nature. This includes everything we say and do, and yes, our music too - no matter which style it embraces. It would be unfair to single out music that we don't like, and exclude it from the realms of 'acceptability' just because of it's style. It must be the music's quality, or lack of it, that we use as the measure of judgement.

This brings me to the issue of non-Christian, or 'secular' music? Can it have a place in the lives of Christians? I'm of the opinion that not everything our fellow man does is intrinsically evil, or automatically worthless. Despite the fallen nature of man, we can see in his self-expressions, including music, that along with all the trash of sin, there's still a heart in there. Man still bears the image of God. It is a false doctrine that says everything made by non-Christians has no value. Where then is the dignity in being a human being?

How do you feel about it? Because it really is a matter of personal conscience before God. Romans chapter 14 teaches us not to judge a brother who eats, or does not eat meat. Verse 17 says: "For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking". The logical extension of this, is that it's not music either! If you wish to listen to any kind of music, you have the God-given right and the authority of scripture to do so. If you prefer to listen only to 'Christian' music, then you are also justified in choosing that option. The only thing forbidden is judging our brother or sister!

So, it's not the style of the music, but the content that should be the issue. For example, in the case of the Blues, there is some I would listen to, and some I would choose not to listen to. Where is the logic in deciding that all Blues music is ungodly and has no value? Quite often Blasphemy can wear a nice suit and sing Classical music. Unfaithfulness often wears a Country hat. Ungodliness and lust can dwell in the most sentimental and 'Middle-Of-the-Road' music. Saddest of all, is that greed and idolatry sometimes dress up as 'Contemporary Christian' music.

So what can our standard for judgement be now? If we have chosen music simply because it has a Christian label, or is made by Christians, then we are missing the point. The true standard can only be what it should have been all along: integrity and humanity. Music is a wonderful gift from God to all men. It doesn't need an excuse to exist, and it doesn't need to be 'Christianised' to be made acceptable. That music must have an excuse of "serving the Lord", or "evangelism", or whatever, is I believe, a fundamental misunderstanding of God's creation. "The heavens declare the glory of God", the scripture says in Psalm 19v1. Do we not see that the "heavens declare the glory of God" without the assistance of a big Jesus-shaped cloud for further emphasis?!

At this point it's needful to make some clarifications. It is right to worship the Lord with our music! We should share our testimonies and life-experiences in our songs too! It's only natural, and we should want to! This is not what I am being critical of here. It is perpetuating an upside down value system that we must resist; values that allow us to accept trash because it is 'Christian' trash, and to reject something that has beauty and substance, because it is not made by Christians.

When the Reformation was taking place in Germany, Martin Luther didn't throw away everything that had existed up to that point! He maintained the study of Latin, recommended the whole-hearted pursuit of knowledge, and was a champion for the arts. (He himself was a hymn writer.) We too must be selective and wise. Although he found much to 'protest' about with regard to crucial matters of doctrine, he had no problem whatsoever with music or the arts. In fact, it came to be that under this Lutheran tradition (which was then only beginning), Church music, and Western music - period, would rise to previously unseen glories.

So, should we listen to the Blues? As Christians with the God-given freedom of choice, we can happily conclude that the choice is ours. We should not hesitate to reject music that is sub-standard, or not true to God's design. We should also learn to appreciate music and other creative works that have integrity - even when they come from outside the four walls of the church. Never mind the Blues, how can awful music of any style serve to glorify God and uplift man? Yet we live with so much third rate music in the Church; we who have been so critical of all others! My brethren, these things ought not to be so!

I have no doubt touched upon things that are more complex, or sensitive, than this brief article can fully address. For example, some art may indeed have artistic integrity of the highest order, but may also suggest a belief which is false or morally wrong suggestion; especially if the artist does not know Christ. Despite this, I think we need to look prayerfully again at our value systems. We may have inherited or adopted some ideas which sound very zealous for God, but which in fact may be rooted in legalism; and not in the true biblical freedoms our Lord Jesus Christ won for us all at great cost.

Remember too, that as the Jews fought the Apostle Paul fiercely in their defence of the Law and of Judaism, so too there will be those among us who will never accept the freedom Christ gives us. They will insist that you be just like them, even down to tastes in music.

© 2001, by Bernard McDonagh
berniemusic@yahoo.com

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