Life Outside the Bubble.

A few days ago, we had lunch with a Producer. Very nice older guy, friend of Sondheim. I found that out because I thought that Sondheim had died and said so casually. The man said, "Cross yourself boy! He hasn't left us yet!" I felt sorta dumb.

Anyways, we said something about CCM music and he didn't know what the crap I was talking about. Then we spent the next 10 minutes trying to describe the genre to him.

For some reason, I felt really comforted by his CCM ignorance. Here was a man, a Christian, an artist... just all around terrific guy, and he had no knowledge of the inner workings of the Evangelical sub cultural bubble. Yet he shows up on Saturdays at his church and feeds the poor, and he is active in his Church...

It was like meeting someone from a different planet, someone who hadn't bitten from the forbidden fruit of Christian commercialism. For some reason, I felt a little giddy about that.

When you've lived in the Bible belt your WHOLE life, you begin to believe that God is only found there. And if you move from there, away from Christian Radio, Christian T.V., Christian bookstores, Christian Pop Stars... you’re told you will no longer hear the voice of God. "You might, but it will be faint, and non-spirit-filled.”

Then comes the day when God tells you to move out of it, and what a great thing it is to realize there are a whole lot of Christians who have never heard of Chris Tomlin, or Caedmon's Call, David Crowder or JOEL OLSTEEN, or Ed Young... and they are getting along smashingly with the Almighty. And when they have, it is a great compliment because you are in with all their other music and books, not just because it's Christian, but because it's good art. Any Christian art that stays, will always be good art. It will never stay just because it’s Christian.

Veggie Tales says, "God is bigger than the boogie man,” They ought to have one that sings, "God is bigger than the Bible belt." Wow, I even felt a little blasphemous typing that...