She also recorded one of my favourite versions of my favourite hymns – Church In The Wildwoods. Nothing about her flirting or her tongue-in-cheek, off-colour jokes or her showgirl outfits and makeup have ever stopped her from singing gospel. You could say, she gives to Caeser what is Caeser’s. Yes?
Elvis Presley, too. Or Carrie Underwood. A lot of Hollywood artists never let their fame, fortune and Hollywood stop them from singing their gospel songs and hymns. Their roots, you could say.
What do we know of their “souls” or their tickets to heaven? What do we know of our own “souls” and our guaranteed (or not) entry into heaven? What do we know of anything for certain of The Beyond? All of Belief rests in that very word – faith.
I mention all of these because I find it troubling when in Mizoram, people seem to divide music into two sections: gospel and love songs. Not all songs can be categorized in those two sections! Besides, those aren't even true genres. It frustrates the core of my being when people give their testimonies and say: I can’t sing love songs anymore because I am born-again. (I want to swear here but it seems inappropriate to do so just here.)
Whatever I mentioned about Dolly Parton or Elvis Presley or Carrie Underwood is this: no matter how worldly they appear or how they earn their livelihood, they don't abandon their God or their church or their Belief. What do I know of souls? Or play-acting Believer or not? That is immaterial. What is factual is they get all decked up in Hollywood fineries AND they will also attend church and sing gospel.
I find this worth mentioning because we seem to say the exact opposite in Mizoram of singers. Look how worldly they are and yet they dare to sing gospel songs! we say (and spit on the ground, perhaps.)
What is dare? It is not because people are so spiritual that they sing gospel. Perhaps a section of gospel singers are truly spiritual. But there's a vast majority that sings gospel - especially in church - because of the music and how it moves them beyond the lyrics. Sometimes the tune simply just hits right.
Besides which, I believe God gives us different talents. If your talent is bureaucracy, bury your nose in the red tape and help government push along. If your talent is teaching, help the younger generation learn. If your talent is numbers, perhaps start a business or trade. If your talent is singing, sing. FFS.
Nobody ever accuses government servants or entrepreneurs or doctors or engineers or footballers as shameless for daring to sing or preach the gospel despite how they earn their livelihood. Or how they dress in their places of work. Why measure singers differently?
The world always needs art. Keep them coming. The world is bleak. Some days art is all that helps us survive.
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