The story of my conversion from despondent hedonism to following Jesus is quite conventional and fairly dramatic in places. I’ve told it to believers and non-believers alike on many occasions, with dramatic flair. The story’s got it all: a troubled childhood, self-destructive tendencies, drug abuse, an existential crisis, and an abrupt conversion experience with immediate … Read more →
It’s easy to find Christians despising the “Jesus is my boyfriend” motif in worship music. I’ve usually mocked it myself, but something I read in James K.A. Smith’s recent book Desiring the Kingdom made me think about this from another angle. In order to understand Smith’s defense of erotically-charged worship, we must first understand the … Read more →
As I write this, I am frustrated. Very frustrated. I am in the midst of a work situation fraught with poor communication, power struggles and incompetence masked by “qualifications.” I am being forced to watch some very untalented designers take the lead in a project that I should, in terms of skill and competence, be … Read more →
This thought springs from my observation of music, but I think that it has broader application to both the broader creative world and culture more generally, so I’ll state it in generic terms. It seems that sadness, angst, anger and melancholy–in short, negative emotions–are somehow considered to be much more honest (and don’t forget that … Read more →