Shout to What Lord?

This week has been a big one... storms, tornadoes... and I finally got cable and internet at my apartment. I haven't been watching tv since I moved since I couldn't get any reception. So, I finally bit the bullet and got cable. Wow... there's a world out there. :)

I was watching the TV Guide channel today and they were showing clips from last week's American Idol Gives Back. I realize I'm humming along as I'm trying to find something else to watch and it hits me - they are singing SHOUT TO THE LORD!!!! I couldn't believe my ears. This is a blatantly religious song we sing AT CHURCH. I looked it up on good ol' You Tube and...


There is one notable lyric change in the first verse that leaves me wondering what lord they are shouting to, however I am still very surprised they performed a blatantly religious song. While they do not mention Jesus, they still refer to My Shepherd, My Savior, and of course Lord. I am sad that singing a religious, almost Christian song on prime time tv would surprise me so much. I don't think it has the same meaning without Jesus, of course; what a shame they sing a great song and miss the point. Of course, since I didn't have cable and was busy with friends that night, I didn't see the whole thing, but I'm wondering why this selection? What did it have to do with giving back or American Idol? Strange. I guess overall I'm glad they performed it. And, better yet, they did it well (lyric change notwithstanding).

There have been several little things lately have pointed out to me the importance of being blatantly honest that Jesus is THE Way THE Truth and THE Life and that there is no way to the Father except through Him. To say anything less is to cheapen His sacrifice for us. I know that in a society with endless options it seems worse than backward to suggest that there is only one way to get to God. But we accept absolutes in many other parts of our lives - we accept that the sun always rises in the east (though it is often obscured by clouds); we accept that gravity holds us to the earth; we accept that murder is wrong, that love is good, that family is important - in other words some things are just true. Some things aren't. Why is it a stretch to believe that what the Bible says is absolutely true? That Jesus IS the only way? Because we have to accept something about ourselves before we can accept that we need a Savior. We have to accept that we are not just imperfect, but sinful and that separates us from God. That is offensive, a stumbling block. But it's true.