A story about a good question that can help you filter out the noise…
A good friend of mine happens to be a pastor who plays in a band and appreciates good conversation over a fine glass of bourbon.
One compliments the other, of course.
He also loves classic rock (that’s the kind of band I was talking about just in case there was any confusion). Oh, did I mention he’s married to the bass player? Are you forming an image yet?
One afternoon some years back, we were sharing memories about good music, favorite concerts… you know, that sort of thing. No Kentucky spirits involved this time, just Virginia sunshine.
Then the thought occurred to me…
My friend would be uniquely qualified to answer a question about classic rock I have struggled with for some time. The question being this… How does one reconcile enjoying the amazing musical artistry in so many classic rock gems that also have spiritually questionable lyrics?
We kicked around a number of examples and talked about how musicians and songwriters of the ’60s and well into the ’70s were, shall we say, more than willing to experiment with the many aspects of this life.
Although we can take into account the various cultural arguments of the time…
I was right, he had a good answer to my question. One I found quite helpful as it made a ton of sense,
I think it comes down to this. With all the absolutely amazing music we have, you’ll want to ask yourself this, ‘Will listening to this song, with this message, move anything forward for me?’ If you answer honestly, either way, you’ll know what’s right.”
— Pastor Jeff Goodman
Ever since I’ve found it’s the question to ask myself when faced with that dilemma.
And how might the same question apply now? In these challenging times?
It seems to me today, we’re faced with so many varied and conflicting messages. You know I like to refer to the vast majority of them simply as noise. And noise is hard to ignore… noise eventually finds its way in, welcome or not.
Filtering the music from the dissonance is incredibly difficult...
I’ve found an ever so slightly revised version of the same question might serve us well in navigating these challenging times,
“In this absolutely conflicted, yet still amazing world, will listening to this rhetoric and embracing its message move anything forward for me or anyone else? If the answer is ‘no’ maybe it’s not right for me and it’s best to just let it go.”
It’s noisy out there!
If you ask yourself better questions… you’ll find better answers.
Let it go. Be untucked.
p.s. Click here for another LifeUntucked® post with a classic rock theme. It’s an all-time favorite.
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Copyright © 2021 Jeff Meister – All Rights Reserved
I really love this post, Jeff! I have asked myself the same question about song lyrics! How apropos to compare that with our need to filter so much of what comes at us daily. I subscribe to some really great newsletters, blogs, etc., and sometimes even too much of the good stuff can be overwhelming. I often look for a quick word or phrase that helps me stay on track, and lately, “Filter!” is a useful one. Your post nailed it for me. Thanks!
Thank you so much for reading, Laurie… and for sharing your thoughts. “Filter” is certainly a good action word for our times… maybe check to see if there’s a HEPA filter available for the internet!