I haven’t blogged since before Christmas. It’s the longest break from writing that I’ve taken in a long time. This unplugging has done a world of good.
It seems readers have not followed me to the new blog, and the visitor stats are abysmal. :( I would really appreciate it if you sent a few friends this way. I had been topping out at 900+. Yesterday I had 29. YES. Twenty-nine.
Now to the post:
I have a confession to make. I saw Mylon LeFevre and the Broken Heart Band on the Sheep in Wolves’ Clothing and the Crack the Sky tours. I was embarrassed about this, but now I’m just going to embrace it. Of course I was only 3 years old when it happened. Okay. I wasn’t.
Lefevre and his boys were Christian Rock and Roll in its 1980s heyday. Big hair, plus many an electric guitar solo. In that time period, you could not go to any rock concert and not endure a 15 minute drum solo either. I think the bands would change their leg warmers during those prolonged poundings; or maybe reapply hairspray.
In the 1980s, a lot of Christians contended that any music using drums or electric guitar was the Devil’s music. Seriously. So, yeah, listening to puffy-haired Mylon put me in the “rebel” category. But, not, in secular terms, of course. Yes, I was caught between two worlds…
What made Mylon “cool” (or whatever) was that he that he had toured with the likes of Eric Clapton, Elton John, Billy Joel, Duane Allman, Berry Oakley, Little Richard, & the Who, among others. But now he was touring with God. He could rock it out for real, regardless of his beliefs. He was a musician, not a Christian hoping to witness by trying to be a musician. And you could tell. He was just at a different level talent-wise.
His wiki is here if you are curious.
(If you like 80s rock at all, you might like to look this up. It’s a southern gospel rock style, and some of it is pretty good.)
The phrase a sheep in wolves’ clothing is a twist on “a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” [Matthew 7:15 “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.”] And really the phrase didn’t do it for me. It seemed phony, like a marketing guy made it up. It’s clever at first blush, but then one realizes….”Oh, it’s just trick. You’re all just… well, “dressed up”.”
Today I think there is a different situation with sheep in wolves’ clothing. Firstly, less hairspray is involved.
Too many sheep are pretending, but to other wolves they still stink like sheep, and to sheep they seem ridiculous.
Do any examples come to mind?
I’d like to hear from you.
Do you remember listening to Christian “Devil’s Music”?
Who did you like?