March 22, 2022

The Impact of The Jesus Music- and the Hand Behind It

Don't overlook what you don't understand. If there's any moral in the lesson, it is this:  He does what He wants to do and uses broken, sinful, people like you and me to accomplish it. Even if we do it imperfectly. That is the unexpected story of The Jesus Music, an interesting, often heartbreaking, ultimately hopeful, documentary about the Jesus movement of the 1970's, and the people who rode the crest of that wave.  

The list of artists interviewed reads like a Who's Who of popular faith based music: Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Chris Tomlin, DC Talk, Kirk Franklin, David Crowder, and many of the original less known musicians that were there when it began at Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, California, under the encouragement of Pastor Chuck Smith.

When mainstream churches and televangelists were mostly snubbing their noses at this rock, pop, and R&B infused music with a Biblical worldview, wiser folks like the Rev. Billy Graham gave full support. 

Much of the movie is narrated by Greg Laurie, a pastor that saw it first hand- and the man that actually presented the truth about Jesus to me back in the day. I listened intently to a man who shared how broken mankind was by individual transgressions against God and others, and how the Almighty One in his great love sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross in my place. In one fell swoop, He saved me from a future in Hell for eternity, after He conquered death by raising back to life after being crucified by his enemies. 

Many times the music surrounding my newly found faith was undeveloped, unsophisticated, and unappreciated, but the stories and artists behind the songs had tales to tell of God's goodness and redemption when they were in pain or at a loss because their choices took them places they did not intend to go.

There's no glossing over the difficulties and sin encountered as fame hit different artists, but the focus on the story is God doing His work and using broken people to accomplish it.  I'm thankful He does, aren't you?

The Jesus Music is a movie that's honest, painful, and ultimately hopeful.

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