The Fencepost

After 10 years as a Southerner, I’m still not a true Country-music convert. But when I hear an artist I like on the radio or TV, I’ll usually stop and listen. As a musician, it’s quality and craftsmanship that gets my attention regardless of genre – for the most part. This is the case recently with The Band Perry, of whom I really can’t get enough. Their pure sound and winning stage presence makes them one of the best new Country groups out there.

A pure sound is a label I’d also attach to Vince Gill. He’s an unabashed Country artist in a field known for pop crossovers. That didn’t stop him, however, from partnering with Sting in the most recent episode of CMT’s Crossroads series. And really, can you blame him? Would anyone turn down the opportunity to perform with one of the most successful and respected rock musicians of all time? I’ve been a fan of Sting since high school. When he and his band stopped at the (old) Arco Arena in Sacramento in 1987 during his “Nothing Like the Sun” tour, I was there. His Ten Summoner’s Tales is easily one of my top-10 favorite albums. So when I saw the billboard for this Crossroads episode on West End a few weeks ago, I went straight to my U-verse iPhone app and set my DVR.

The show didn’t disappoint. Essentially, it was Gill and his band, with Sting inviting longtime guitarist Dominic Miller to join them. There was the usual “you sing some of my songs, and I’ll return the favor” set list. Something about Sting singing Country songs has an undeniable appeal. Likely it’s because Country is at heart a storytelling musical genre, and Sting has always been a storytelling songwriter. Case in point: Witness these two sharing the vocals on Sting’s “Shape of My Heart,” and marvel at Sting’s comfort level crooning along to Gill’s foot-stomping “Don’t Let Our Love Start Slippin’ Away.” These two artists could launch a joint tour tomorrow and do quite well.

Crossroads’ mingling of music performance with backstage banter is part of the show’s appeal. It was once exchange in particular that caused me to find writing this post necessary. Following a commercial break, Sting took up a smallish acoustic guitar and began to sing “Amazing Grace” in a fairly low key. Gill observed, grinning like a school kid. Sting commented on the old song’s origins in a man’s personal redemption from a lifetime of sin. And then the conversation took an unexpected turn. Please pardon my attempt to approximate the dialogue from memory.

Sting: “I grew up in church. I’m thankful that my parents exposed me to it. I used to love the music, to hear the old songs. But I would have to call myself an agnostic. And the meaning of that word is ‘I don’t know.’ I find myself drifting from it.” At this point there is an uncomfortably long pause, especially for a TV show. Breaking the silence, Sting places a hand on Gill’s knee and (jokingly?) says to his partner, “Convert me.”

An iconic, internationally acclaimed, superstar swings wide the door of religious introspection. This is the sort of opportunity evangelists dream about. Sting is no slouch in the intellectual department either. He’s one of the most well-read, astute rockers there ever was. His song lyrics drip with literary references that make you wish his albums were packaged with a pocket encyclopedia. So a sixty-something mega-star invites you to share the reason for the hope you have. What do you do?

Here’s what Gill did.

“You know, I don’t think ‘faith’ means being sure about anything. A lot of people think that because I married Amy (Grant) that means I believe the same things as her. I think that as long as I’m a good person and I treat other people right, I don’t have to worry about connecting all the dots and following all the rules.”

Pause the recording. Allow that to sink in. Watch the opportunity start slippin’ away.

Here’s the contradiction broadcast via cable: A worldly rock star seeks comfort and hope from a spiritual Country star who has none to offer. Check your local listings for show times.

This conversation replayed in my mind for days. I thought about all the things I would have said, all the things I wished Gill had said. But then, it really amounts to all the things I wish Gill actually believed. You can’t give away what you don’t already have. And more than anything I’m struck by the assumption I held myself that Vince Gill was secure in Christian faith for reasons about which I’m not really certain and can’t adequately explain.

Here’s the contradiction broadcast via cable: A worldly rock star seeks comfort and hope from a spiritual Country star who has none to offer. Check your local listings for show times.

Epilogue: Contrary to what Gill says, “… faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1 ESV)” Despite what either of them say, “… these are written so that you may believe [know] that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). Furthermore: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). And finally: “… we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life” (5:20).

What Sting searches for and Vince Gill isn’t certain about is a faith of assurance and a hope that is certain. I can’t honestly assert that I wouldn’t have failed miserably had Sting asked me such a point-blank question with national television cameras rolling. I do know, however, that God will be found by those who diligently seek Him (Jer. 29:12-14) and that He rewards those to whom He grants faith to believe He exists (Heb. 11:6).

But that’s just it. There’s faith, and there’s belief. They go together – just like Country and Rock.

Yes, I’m a little late to the game on what was one of the breakout movies of 2009. We don’t go to many movies in the theater any longer. That honor is reserved for something like a Lord of the Rings epic, a date night with Bev, or anything by Pixar. You’ll find us in the local mega-plex for Toy Story 3 – count on it. So, while perusing the offerings on Amazon OnDemand tonight, The Blind Side popped up as an option. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to take in this movie everyone had told me, “You HAVE to see!”

I should add for context that Bev and I saw Julie & Julia in the theater last year on one of our aforementioned dates. Basically, if the name Streep is anywhere near a movie, I’m probably going to like it – though I don’t intend to see Mamma Mia anytime soon. As usual, she was brilliant as Julia Child, inhabiting the role like a comfortable flannel shirt. And even though I don’t typically watch the Academy Awards broadcast, I tuned in this year just to see if she would win yet another naked golden dude for her mantle. The look on Sandra Bullock’s face when she won pretty much communicated she thought Streep had it in the bag.

It was a perfect Saturday evening for family movie time. We fired up the plasma screen and took in two hours and eight minutes of fine storytelling. I’m a sucker for a well-told human interest story, especially one that contains a redemptive element and that acknowledges the value each human life holds. While there were a few hokey moments I had to roll my eyes at, overall I found The Blind Side to be a compelling recount of a true story about a family that used its means to demonstrate the value of family, the importance of hard work and perseverance, and the innate transformational power of love.

And all that would have been just peachy if not for one nagging detail.

(more…)