SEEK 34 – Music and the DJ

 SEEK 34 – Music and the DJ

 Question: Is music spiritual? Is it wrong for a Christian to be a D.J?

 Bible Reading: Psalm 150

Text: “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.” (Psalm 150:6)

Music is so important to human beings. It is such a key part of our lives. At least it is for most of us. This should not surprise us – we are made in the image of God and our God is a singing God. “The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you but will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)

He wants his people to sing praise to him – just read through the book of Psalms! I love the detail recorded in 1 Chronicles 23:5 “four thousand are to praise the Lord with the musical instruments I have provided for that purpose.” Four thousand musicians in the temple of the Lord.

Yes, music is spiritual. Or, using spiritual in the sense of the Holy Spirit, it can be spiritual. But sometimes it can also be earthly and destructive. John Calvin in his preface to the Genevan Psalter wrote this: “Now among the other things which are proper for recreating man and giving him pleasure, music is either the first, or one of the principals; and it is necessary for us to think that it is a gift of God deputed for that use. Moreover, because of this, we ought to be the more careful not to abuse it, for fear of soiling and contaminating it, converting [it to] our condemnation, where it was dedicated to our profit and use…. “And in fact, we find by experience that it has a sacred and almost incredible power to move hearts in one way or another….”

Music can be very powerful for good or evil. In question 29 we mentioned the positive and soothing impact that the music of David on the harp had on King Saul. I find myself listening to some music and marvelling at how beautiful and spiritual it is. As we saw in the previous chapter on art – music too can reflect the beauty and creativity of our Creator – our singing God.

Einstein, as well as being one of the greatest scientists who has ever lived, was also a musician. He wrote about Mozart – “Mozart’s music is so pure and beautiful that I see it as a reflection of the inner beauty of the universe” (McGrath – A Theory of Everything – p101).

Another aspect of music that is reflective of the Creator – is how diverse and varied it is. Sometimes, when I am asked what my favourite music is, I’m not sure what to say. I love classical, folk, rock, jazz and many other forms. Sometimes, like art, our feelings about music can be really subjective, but also like art – there is good and bad music. If you play notes out of key, or sing out of tune, that does not make for good music.

My friend Archie and I spent part of a summer hitchhiking round the Scottish Highlands, staying at youth hostels. Archie had a guitar, and I had a bodhran (an Irish hand drum). Each night we would start a ‘ceilidh’ (a musical get together) at the hostel we were staying in. It was great fun for a couple of amateurs – but I will never forget the night an Australian folk singer congratulated us on our harmonies. Harmonies? What harmonies? I was just singing out of tune – still at least he liked it!

However, music can also be good or bad in terms of the purpose for which it is used. Which brings us on to the second part of your question. Is it good for a Christian to be a DJ? I guess the answer to that depends on what kind of DJ and in what circumstances. There is a world of difference between playing the tunes at a wedding dance – and being the DJ down your local night club.

Speaking to some young men in Dundee, I asked them why they went to dance/night clubs. They all stated that it was because they saw them kind of like a meat market (their words) – where they went along and found it very easy to get girls. They told me that because of the highly charged atmosphere, the drugs and the alcohol, it was easy to ‘hook up’. I cannot understand how any Christian would want to be part of that – or facilitate that. Walking along City Wharf in the Darling Harbour centre of Sydney I was greatly saddened to see the queues of young people outside the numerous nightclubs. I observed these ‘seekers of pleasure’ behaving in ways that degraded and demeaned them. As a DJ in such a club you would be facilitating that. Why?

The bottom line is that music is a gift from God – to be used for his glory and not for our own, or other people’s sins. It is spiritual, but we need to make sure that that means not evil spirits, but rather the Holy Spirit. We either sing in harmony with him – or we dance with the Devil.

Consider: Can you think of other ways that music can be used for good or bad? Think about the music you listen to. Is it helpful, good, beautiful? Does it help you glorify God? Can you give thanks to God for it?

Further Reading:

Come let us Sing – Rob Smith (this is a great book on why we sing as Christians).

Prayer: Lord, we exist to praise you. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Help us to glorify you through the gift of music. May the music we listen to, the music we play, and the music we use in church, bring glory to you. May we sing in harmony with you, Amen.