A few years ago there was a push for radio stations playing music for christians should try to widen their audience by not saying "christian" - "positive" is a nicer word that will allow for a larger audience appeal.
It was a marketing move.
But on this particular network, they've gone overboard.
Everything is positive. Everything. Every announcer is cheery, every commercial break starts after some fake laughter from the hosts.
The great psalms are not just psalms of praise, but of lament, crying out to God "WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME!" and "WHY DO MY ENEMIES PROSPER!"
By stripping the scripture, the psalms, or even poetry of the struggle and angst strips it of its genuineness and it's truth.
If someone's life, or their faith, is without struggle, without angst, I cannot identify. I identify much more with the struggle of songs like this part of the Goo Goo Dolls' song:
and i don't want the world to see me,
cause i don't think that they'd understand
when everything's made to be broken,
i just want you to know who I am.
You cannot be positive and encouraging and real while denying the pervasive Angst of life and faith.
Well said.
If it weren't for those psalms, I may have given up on calling myself a Christian a long time ago. I have needed those passages of scripture as well as people in my life who love God and aren't afraid of talking about their struggles to get me through the dark hours of my faith.
Agree totally. I'd love to quote this in an upcoming issue of cmw