Monday Music: When In Rome by Nickel Creek
Confession…I grew up on bluegrass music and I enjoy it.
Now don’t ignore this post because of the bluegrass stigma. Nickel Creek pursued this genre of music with excellence and creativity that can’t be found in most bluegrass artists. Their lyrics tell great stories, paint great pictures, and often have something to say. Not to mention they are extraordinary musicians. Don’t write off all bluegrass until you have at least listened to Nickel Creek.
That being said, anyone who likes to challenge the status quo will enjoy one of my Nickel Creek favorites, When in Rome.
No one wants to be an outsider. Most kids learn to “fit in” in order to be liked from a very early age and the ones who don’t are likely to be bullied and left out. There is nothing wrong with picking up on cultural norms and trying to work within the cultural system. However, we often become so caught up in fitting the “norm” that we never question that “norm” and hear the voices coming from the margins.
As Christians, we need to speak and hear from the margins. Culture sets up a norm that is often not in line with the Gospel and we take it at face value. We learn to live in Rome and cry, “Caesar is Lord” instead of yelling “Jesus is Lord” from the margins.
The last verse says it best:
Where can a dead man go?
A question with an answer only dead men know.
But I’m gonna bet they never really feel at home,
If they spend a lifetime learning how to live in Rome.
How have we learned to “live in Rome” at the expense of the Gospel? What are some of the “norms” that Christians should be challenging?
Brilliant post Eric. Do you think this kind of analysis is possible from within Rome– or does one need to gain perspective from the vantage point of another culture?
One of the most transforming experiences I’ve had along these lines came when I was a youth pastor. We took our group to spend a week in a poverty simulation. Yes– sleeping on streets, pan handling, the whole deal. Like nothing else, this experience gave me a clear picture of “Rome” and of how much the church unwittingly goes along with it and does “as the Romans.”
Great question! Entering another culture truly is going to increase the possibility of seeing the “Rome” in our own culture. If you can’t completely immerse in another culture then having meaningful relationships (ones that have actual give and take) with those outside of “Rome” may be helpful. You are right, though, it is extremely difficult to see “Rome” in our own cultures.