LISTENING TO THE MUSIC

EXPLORING the music of Sufjan Stevens
by Colin Camacho

Photo by Daniel Ruck

Music, like film or other forms of art, is a beautiful medium to communicate emotions, questions, doubts, or even to critique public and personal issues. Music is a language that people are speaking, and it’s everywhere. As both a Christian and a lover of music, I enjoy digging deeper into lyrics and trying to understand what artists are really trying to say through their music. It is clear that the human condition is a central topic, no matter the genre, but lately I have wondered about the spiritual climate of other listeners. Unfortunately it is evident that we as Christians tend to over-spiritualize things a bit much, so in order to be relevant and truly embrace how popular culture views these lyrics, I wanted to see how other listeners, perhaps non-Christians, interpret the very same songs.

Consider Sufjan Stevens. Stevens, who does not fall under the Christian genre per se, addresses many prevalent topics of faith in his art. His ideas explore various heart issues, and his questions embrace the culture around him, making him an important figure in music today, especially for the Christian community. A particular song, “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.,” is about the infamous serial killer himself, but at the end of the song Stevens finishes with a comparison of Gacy’s disposition to his own sinful inclinations. The song is truly a poetic reflection on the human condition and the depravity of man.

In looking at a few blogs on the meaning of the song, it was obvious to me that this track was creating a bit of discussion among listeners. Along with the presence of many Christianized interpretations, there were just as many responses of frustration. One listener wrote, “I hate that everyone keeps forcing Christianity on these songs.” Even more comments reflected dissatisfaction about how we as Christians keep reading into his music, always trying to put a spiritual twist on his lyrics and seemingly try to claim Stevens as “our own.”

I find a lot of truth in these statements; there exists a real problem when Christians over-spiritualize certain themes in music, film, or other areas of expression. But, as justified as either side may be, perhaps the irritated bloggers’ views of Christianity have been shaped by the present stereotypes of Christian music today. It is obvious that the typical contemporary Christian pop lacks substance, is overproduced, and is aesthetically embarrassing, more often than not cloned and pumped out in neatly wrapped institutionalized packaging. And because of the prevalence of such material, the listeners may assume that most Christians have a shallow perspective of music.

Stevens’ music, however, is anything but Christian pop, and it is refreshing to find such sincerity in an artist fully infused in secular culture who can be intellectually honest with his faith and doubts. Speaking of Stevens in an article, Christopher Stratton says, “Spiritually speaking, Stevens stands at the forefront of a widespread movement of young people looking to live out their faith sacramentally, willing to persist in the face of the mystery of God and fully engaged with the world through art and liturgy.”

Stevens’ approach embraces real issues, and a non-Christian blogger noticed this. In reply to another blogger’s comments he said, “he (Stevens) acknowledges that believing in God sometimes doesn’t make much sense, and ironically makes me, an Agnostic, much more open to his Christian beliefs. You rarely hear anybody Christian (especially for me, growing up in the South) willing to talk about that duality.” Stevens represents an approach to faith in his music that is authentic, so can you blame us Christians for latching on and wanting to claim him as our own?

I know that music like this helps me relate. It teaches me how to feel all over again, and brings me into true worship. A song like “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.” drives me to the foot of the cross to ponder my depravity; yet as I see Christ, I am also lifted up by an unshakeable grace in the greatest gift I could never earn. It is these moments when I find myself in intimate connection with my God, and music is always a catalyst for these times. There are few moments (apart from reading Psalms) that I feel so connected to the human condition as when I listen to music, and Stevens has pushed me further down this path. When listening to lyrics, I find many times that I am dealing with the same muddy doubts and asking the same questions as the artist, leading me back to dependence on God for guidance. Surely He gets glory from that.

We do not all have to jump on the Sufjan Stevens bandwagon or closely follow other artists like him and cling to all their words, but we must begin to become more intellectually honest with ourselves, our peers, and our God. It is not easy to go outside our comfort zones and embrace the world, but this pursuit will deepen our roots, unlock doors we would have never walked through and bring more insight through that reflection. We will then begin to know ourselves and our surroundings better, contributing to our progressive growth in articulation of what lies beneath our surface, all while listening to culture and what God really wants to say through it. In the meantime, ask God to help you as you go, and turn up the volume.