A second look at some song lyrics that made me mad
Below I have posted the lyrics to the Casting Crown's Song, Jesus Friend of Sinners. I heard this on the radio the other day (for the umpteenth time) and got mad.
Why? Well, maybe it's because it's self-focused, like so many of our songs nowadays. Maybe it's the line, "Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers." How does he know I'm pointing fingers?
Christians do so much self-loathing that they don't see what is actually being done in terms of care for the poor, etc. Yes, more could be done; the work of restoration will never be done. But sometimes why don't we just celebrate what God is doing through the church than falling back on the trope--which the world tells us is true even when it's not--that all the church does is point fingers at all the bad sinners and stay in our ivory towers looking down on people? If all we do is talk about what we don't do, isn't there a big possibility that we will misplace our energies?
On top of that, when we are asked to help the "poor," it should be the truly poor. If a person has cable, I don't consider them poor. Sorry. If a person doesn't have clean drinking water, that's another matter. I'm a bit cynical of some of our do-goodism in the church.
Yet . . .
I have had a healthy dose of seeing my own judgmentalism today, so in the words of Dr. Seuss, We can do better.
"Jesus, Friend Of Sinners"
Jesus, friend of sinners, we have strayed so far away
We cut down people in your name but the sword was never ours to swing
Jesus, friend of sinners, the truth's become so hard to see
The world is on their way to You but they're tripping over me
Always looking around but never looking up I'm so double minded
A plank eyed saint with dirty hands and a heart divided
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners
Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks yours
Yeah...
Jesus, friend of sinners, the one who's writing in the sand
Made the righteous turn away and the stones fall from their hands
Help us to remember we are all the least of these
Let the memory of Your mercy bring Your people to their knees
Nobody knows what we're for only what we're against when we judge the wounded
What if we put down our signs crossed over the lines and loved like You did
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners
Open our eyes to world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks yours
You love every lost cause; you reach for the outcast
For the leper and the lame; they're the reason that You came
Lord I was that lost cause and I was the outcast
But you died for sinners just like me, a grateful leper at Your f
Why? Well, maybe it's because it's self-focused, like so many of our songs nowadays. Maybe it's the line, "Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers." How does he know I'm pointing fingers?
Christians do so much self-loathing that they don't see what is actually being done in terms of care for the poor, etc. Yes, more could be done; the work of restoration will never be done. But sometimes why don't we just celebrate what God is doing through the church than falling back on the trope--which the world tells us is true even when it's not--that all the church does is point fingers at all the bad sinners and stay in our ivory towers looking down on people? If all we do is talk about what we don't do, isn't there a big possibility that we will misplace our energies?
On top of that, when we are asked to help the "poor," it should be the truly poor. If a person has cable, I don't consider them poor. Sorry. If a person doesn't have clean drinking water, that's another matter. I'm a bit cynical of some of our do-goodism in the church.
Yet . . .
I have had a healthy dose of seeing my own judgmentalism today, so in the words of Dr. Seuss, We can do better.
"Jesus, Friend Of Sinners"
Jesus, friend of sinners, we have strayed so far away
We cut down people in your name but the sword was never ours to swing
Jesus, friend of sinners, the truth's become so hard to see
The world is on their way to You but they're tripping over me
Always looking around but never looking up I'm so double minded
A plank eyed saint with dirty hands and a heart divided
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners
Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks yours
Yeah...
Jesus, friend of sinners, the one who's writing in the sand
Made the righteous turn away and the stones fall from their hands
Help us to remember we are all the least of these
Let the memory of Your mercy bring Your people to their knees
Nobody knows what we're for only what we're against when we judge the wounded
What if we put down our signs crossed over the lines and loved like You did
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners
Open our eyes to world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks yours
You love every lost cause; you reach for the outcast
For the leper and the lame; they're the reason that You came
Lord I was that lost cause and I was the outcast
But you died for sinners just like me, a grateful leper at Your f
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