[ This is a Christian's response to a deceptively unrighteous song ]
If you are on the internet at all these days, you have surely by now heard of this totally not fake at all new artist named Oliver Anthony and his definitely not at all astroturfed mega hit single Rich Men North of Richmond..
This viral live recording of a seemingly normal American man moaning and groaning about the state of things over a bluesy sounding resonator guitar in the woods has helped our true enemy spread unrighteousness these past few weeks.
So far there have been billions of views, listens, clicks, reactions and reviews to this modern day slave song, spreading unnecessary despair and hopelessness to many millions of souls.. Who now more than ever need to be encouraged, uplifted, reassured, and saved. However, these folks are instead having emotionally manipulative songs like this pushed in front of their eyes and into their ears from just about every screen of theirs, telling of how everything sucks and there's nothing we can do about it..
There's really nothing shocking to me about the general popularity and love for this song of victimhood by the secular political world, it makes total sense.. Those people live for now, and a lot of them aren't doing well in this life of theirs currently, so when a seemingly authentic outcasted young man with some musical talent comes around singing about some of the problems they also see occurring or have experienced personally, they resonate strongly with it.
But the positive reactions and support I have seen from fellow brothers and sisters in Christ has been shocking to me, even concerning. Nothing about this song is Christian, and I state that with confidence. Not a single verse aligns with the Gospel message, and in fact it mostly contradicts the teachings of Christ and the general mission and purpose we as believers are to have living in this world for now.
The opening lines should be enough to know that this isn't exactly gospel music :
"I’ve been sellin’ my soul, workin’ all day
Overtime hours for bullsh– pay"
Not only are we as believers to never 'sell our souls' but we are often called by the Lord our God to work hard at our own labors, sacrificially, and to do so joyfully..
"Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people, knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you truly serve."
- Colossians 3:23-24
"Each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting, but to himself alone, and not to another. For each one will bear his own load."
-Galatians 6:4-5
"One who works his land will have plenty of bread, but one who pursues worthless things lacks sense. The wicked person desires the plunder of evil people, but the root of righteousness yields fruit."
-Proverbs 12:11-12
"Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and tend it."
Genesis 2:15
Our Creator calls us to work hard at whatever tasks have been given to us, not for our own personal gain and selfish benefit, but to bring Him glory and to serve others.. We should be thankful each day for the opportunity to work, to build, to grow, to trade, to serve others in need in our communities, and to cultivate our gardens.. and to do so with thanksgiving and optimism.
We are called to focus our eyes upon eternity, laboring with our hands here and now sacrificially in exchange for the glorious treasures that await us beyond our time in this fallen world..
God doesn't at any point in His Word call upon us to complain about a lack of paper currency compensation for our labors, and He certainly doesn't want us to foolishly curse or speak ungratefully about it all publicly for others to hear, especially impressionable children.
Oliver continues on complaining :
"So I can sit out here and waste my life away
Drag back home and drown my troubles away"
He openly admits here to self-medicating himself with harmful chemicals in response to his own perceived injustices.. His response to things in his life being a little bit unfair and challenging is to lose hope, surrender, and resort to a life of sloth and substance abuse..
Again, this contradicts the commands of the Lord our God, and does not resemble the virtues of a Christian's faith walk..
"For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. Now we command and exhort such persons in the Lord Jesus Christ to work peacefully and eat their own bread. But as for you, brothers and sisters, do not grow weary of doing good."
- 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12
"For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, by having served and by still serving the saints. And we desire that each one of you demonstrate the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and endurance inherit the promises."
- Hebrews 6:10-12
"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor, not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality."
- Romans 12:10-13
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body."
- 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
"No temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it."
- 1 Corinthians 10:13
"Let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who are drunk, get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation."
- Thessalonians 5:6-8
We are called to have earnest perseverance until the end, through all the trials and tribulations, the hard times and struggles, the battles and the spiritual warfare we may endure.. We are to set ourselves apart from those living in and for this world now, by holding truth, love, joy and hope in our hearts regardless of the situations we face.
The last thing we should be doing right now, as citizens living in the most decadent empire in recorded human history, is giving up on our mission and drinking ourselves into oblivion.. Allowing our complaints about the state of things to lead us into stagnation is bad enough, but to additionally cause damage to the beautiful gift that is our bodies, is reckless to say the least.
And as we seek to become more Christ-like, we need to be about the business that Jesus was about : seeking + saving the lost.
We must take our mission seriously here and now, and reach out to those living in darkness with the eternal offer of light and love that only our Lord and Savior can provide.. Not choosing to waste our time and energy getting drunk and being sad about the difficulties we face.
Oliver continues crying :
"It’s a damn shame what the world’s gotten to
For people like me and people like you
Wish I could just wake up and it not be true
But it is, oh, it is"
The world has always been sin-sick, and it will always be so.. Which is why we as believers are to live on mission, seeking to save as many as we can from this wickedness and help them return home into the loving arms of our Creator in His eternal Kingdom waiting for us beyond this all..
It makes sense for unrighteous people to focus on the here and now, to not like what they see, and to wish it all was different in a way that better suits them personally.. But believers must instead choose to run the race of righteousness, focus our eyes upon the eternity that awaits us all, and prepare for that glorious day of reunion with our Father in Heaven.
"Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned."
- Romans 5:12
"Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God continues to live forever."
- 1 John 2:15-17
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."
- Romans 12:2
We live our God's will when we change our thoughts, rather than living like the world expects us to. The world will always pressure us to live sinfully and selfishly, but to live the good life God wants from us requires changing how we behave.. by changing our hearts and minds.
"These rich men north of Richmond
Lord knows they all just wanna have total control"
I only ask of you Oliver, please keep our Lord's Holy name out of your ungrateful mouth.. That is until the time comes when you are ready to truly accept Him into your heart.
Sinners like me, and sinners like you, will never find deliverance in political arenas or economic policies.. Our thirst will never be satisfied with bottles of alcohol, or fudge rounds, or any of the other pleasures and comforts that this world can possibly offer.. We will not receive pardons for our many sins and our rebellions against our Creator until we choose to return to him humbly and honestly, with repentant and forgiving hearts.
The salvation we all long for is not found in a process, but in a person, whose name is Jesus Christ. He was sent by the Father to take upon Himself the punishment that we all truly deserve, and He asks only for our devoted hearts in return.. The least we can do is give them over to Him.
I truly pray that people like you, and people like me, and all the rest of the other people out there also decide sooner rather than later to accept this free gift of grace, and choose to return home into a spiritual reunion with our Creator, our Lord, our Savior, our God, now and for the eternity to come..
