The Night That Changed America
It happened fifty years ago, but people still talk about it. February 9th, 1964 was the night that changed America. Screaming teenage girls and deafening applause set the frenzied tone for the historic broadcast. An estimated 73 million viewers, 38% of the US population, crowded around their black-and-white TVs to get their first looks at the Fab Four. 60% of American households with televisions were tuned to The Ed Sullivan Show. The Beatles performance that night is considered a milestone in American pop culture and it launched the ‘British Invasion’ in music. ‘Beatlemania’ had broken out all over the country as fans expressed their extreme affection for the lovable mop-tops and their music. America was in love.
Silent Night
On another night a long time ago, a far more significant event went almost unnoticed by the general public. There were no Tweets, Facebook updates or news reports. In a sleepy little town of less than a thousand people on the edge of the desert, there’s typically not much excitement. But on this particular night it was about to get a little crazy. When the shepherds on the hillside saw the first angel they were terrified. This luminescent supernatural being showed up at their campsite and said, ‘Hey, don’t be afraid. I’ve some great news for you.’ The shepherds probably freaked out. Then the night sky lit up like the fourth of July with hundreds, maybe thousands, more angels talking about ‘Peace on Earth.’
When the shock and awe subsided, the shepherds were alone by the campfire. They may not have fully understood what had happened, but they knew this divine encounter would change everything. They hurried into the little town of Bethlehem to check out the newborn King. After they paying a visit to Jesus, they starting spreading the word around town. This would be the extent of the social media activity that night. God staged one of the greatest events in history in a small town and then chose to tell only a few shepherds what was going down. Tiny Bethlehem was only about 5 miles Jerusalem, a city of about 80,000. Since shepherds were at the bottom rung of the social ladder, using them as spokespersons seemed like a bad idea. The night Jesus was born was mostly a silent night. (Luke 2)
Hero Worship
Flash forward thirty years… Suddenly Jesus was getting a whole lot more attention. He traveled from town to town healing the sick, opening blind eyes and deaf ears, restoring mobility to crippled people and performing an occasional resurrection. This seemed like a surefire strategy to increase visibility and popularity, but that was not God’s plan. Jesus was very clear that He came to serve people, not to be served by people. In the end he gave His life to prove it. Often after performing a miraculous healing He asked the recipient to keep things quiet. Jesus also resisted the tide of public opinion that He should become a king and help overthrow the Roman occupation of His country. Again, this was not on His agenda. Besides, He was already a King who happened to be on a mission to Earth that was kind of like the ‘Undercover Boss’ TV show. When He finally made it to Jerusalem, the capital city, His popularity reached a crescendo. He received a hero’s welcome of screaming fans that rivaled Beatlemania. Jesus proved you don’t have to run around telling everyone how awesome you are; you can simply be awesome and they’ll notice.
More Popular Than Jesus
I’m a huge Beatles fan, but I’m an even bigger Jesus fan. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8) I love the Beatles and their music, but they’re artists, entertainers and cultural icons. Jesus is the Creator of life and love and freedom. (John 1:1-4) He’s the one who gave Lennon and McCartney their unique gift to write all those incredible songs. When you hear ‘Yesterday,’ it’s a reflection of Jesus, the ultimate creative force.
In an article published by the London Evening Standard in March 1966, John Lennon made this controversial statement:
“Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn’t argue about that; I’m right and I’ll be proved right. We’re more popular than Jesus now; I don’t know which will go first—rock ‘n’ roll or Christianity. Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It’s them twisting it that ruins it for me.”
When first published in the UK, these comments provoked no public reaction. It’s no secret that since World War II, the decline of Christianity was a topic of conversation in the UK. The Church was working hard to transform its image and become more relevant to society, especially youth. When Lennon’s remarks were published in the American teen magazine, Datebook, in August 1966 the reaction was immediate. Protests broke out, Beatle records were publicly burned, press conferences were cancelled and their music was banned from some radio stations.
At a press conference in Chicago, Lennon attempted to clarify his controversial comments:
“Well, originally I pointed out that fact [Beatles more popular] in reference to England. That we meant more to kids than Jesus did, or religion at that time. I wasn’t knocking it or putting it down. I was just saying it as a fact and it’s true more for England than here. I’m not saying that we’re better or greater, or comparing us with Jesus Christ as a person… I just said what I said and it was wrong. Or it was taken wrong…”
All the Lonely People
John Lennon was not really saying anything new. He was simply pointing out that religion alone doesn’t have much relevance in our lives. Given the popularity of the Beatles in 1966, it may have appeared that the kids were more tuned into their music than to what the Church was offering. My question is, ‘Why?’ If you really get to know Jesus, you’ll find that He’s the most amazing person in the universe! One problem is that the Church has not always represented Him well. As Christ followers, we shouldn’t get angry when popular culture points out our problems or deficiencies. We should thank them.
Here’s an example from The Beatles’ ‘Eleanor Rigby’ released in 1966:
Father McKenzie, writing the words
Of a sermon that no one will hear
No one comes near
Look at him working, darning his socks
In the night when there’s nobody there
What does he care?
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?
We have the answer for that question. God is the ultimate Father and His plan is to put lonely people in families. (Psalm 68:6) This is what the Church must become. When that happens you won’t be able to keep people away.
Imagine Dragons
50 years later, our culture is still crying out for an authentic demonstration of who Jesus is. People want to believe in something or someone. Millennials are great because they’re not afraid to share what’s on their mind. Imagine Dragons in their song, ‘Demons,’ express a sense disappointment in our role models and in ourselves.
“When the days are cold
And the cards all fold
And the saints we see
Are all made of gold
When your dreams all fail
And the ones we hail
Are the worst of all
And the blood’s run stale
I wanna hide the truth
I wanna shelter you
But with the beast inside
There’s nowhere we can hide
No matter what we breed
We still are made of greed
This is my kingdom come!
This is my kingdom come!”
Okay. That’s intense. When you read the Jesus story in the gospels, you’ll see that He assigned us the task of making sure the good things from His kingdom are brought into life here on Earth. Jesus’ popularity is a direct result of how much our lives are a true reflection of His. It’s simple really. Love God and love people.
Jesus is Still Alright
dc Talk put their own spin on a classic Doobie Brothers’ song: ‘Jesus is Just Alright.’ This song reminds me that no matter what’s going on in the world or what the public opinion polls say, Jesus will always be amazing. His love and character will always shine through our lives when we imitate Him.
“I don’t care what they may say
I don’t care what they may do
I don’t care what they may say
Jesus is still alright
Back in place, and I’m all up in your face
With a rhyme that I embrace
Like a mother to her child
I’m kickin’ it Jesus style
To the ones that think they heard
I did use the “J” word
Cause I ain’t too soft to say it
Even if DJ’s don’t play it
Jesus still alright, oh yeah
Jesus is still alright”
There are countless times when popular culture brings faith, and Jesus specifically, into the ongoing dialogue about what really matters. The real question is how can we respond? If we take a page from God’s playbook we’ll do a better job of modeling what it means to follow Jesus. You don’t have to run around telling everyone about love; you can simply demonstrate love and they’ll notice. No question about it. Jesus is still alright!
Copyright 2014 John H Briggs
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