Lessons from Playdhough, Switchfoot, and Hootie & The Blowfish

So here's what God has been teaching me over the past couple weeks: Sharing your heart only when you know it will be well received isn't effective strategy, it's cowardice. I'm know there is the scriptural concept of "not casting your pearls before swine"(sharing what's precious with those who will reject and abuse it) but I think we use that as a cop out. We tend to not be honest about who we are unless we know we will be met with acclaim and warm fuzzy hugs. There is also the trend of taking it to offensive extremes, and that isn't what im suggesting either. This is what I’m suggesting in at least my life, and maybe yours if you feel so inclined; To be confident and bold in your identity in any situation. Proverbs 28:1 States "The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion." More often we live like we are wicked and hide ourselves even when no one is asking us to.

 So a little over a week ago Vincent and I went to a venue in Raleigh called "Kings" its this tiny little venue/bar/club(gasp) to see Playdough, a rapper ive known for years, who was on tour with Pigeon John. This was my first time seeing Playdough outside of a Church venue, so I expected there to be some toning down of the "Christian" portion of the program. To my surprise, in that little place surrounded by people who were buzzed and truly there for the party, he was more transparent than I've ever seen him in a church. It's like in a darker situation, the light shone that much brighter. I told him so after the show, and he said he just did what he does every night, be himself. I drove the two hours home in the rain just thinking about the situation. Replaying in my mind all the circumstances and situations, I don’t necessarily hide but instead am less bold.

Later that week I watched Switchfoot’s movie “Fading West” on Netflix. Watching them perform at a hardcore festival in Australia where no one had even heard of them and they completely didn’t fit in was just super awkward, but Jon Forman made this statement, “Every band has played shows that might have been for people that didn’t want to hear them, or could care less. But not every band does it intentionally.” They purposely put themselves in venues and shows that they know will be uncomfortable for them and out of their element, yet they don’t change who they are or what they do. They could play Christian festivals for the next 15 years and never have an issue, but they instead put themselves on tour with people who don’t share the same views, and perform for people who aren’t their “Stereotypical” audience. The band “Paper Route” said they were the most “Integritous” group of men they had ever met. That was coming from guys who aren’t coming from the same place as them. That statement never would have been made if they had taken the easy route.

This past weekend I watched Hootie and the Blowfish for the first time in 9 years. In a crowd of 7,000 people mostly all with a few overpriced beers in their system, there to get their southern pseudo rock on from songs they heard on the radio more than a decade ago (I love Hootie, just being a realist). This is pretty much what I expected but I was so glad to see these guys play again. What I wasn’t planning is what happened about a half hour in. ¾ of the band has solo projects, so Mark did a song from His solo work, and then a little while later Soni got up, what most people don’t know is that Soni recently struggled heavily with drug addiction and along that process he gave his life to Jesus and has been clean and doing great ever since. He’s started ministering and speaking and has put out a couple worship album. So in this crowd of 7,000 moderately intoxicated people, Soni got up and lead worship. In the middle of a Hootie concert. Worship happened. People were actually raising their hands and singing praises. Now not everyone there was feeling it, I heard several colorfully profane statements, but the majority of the crowd was actually responding. I couldn’t have imagined being in that position. Knowing that most of those people were not there for that, and the negative responses that would come. It’s one thing to do it at Winter Jam, but Soni was given the chance to share his work, and he did even if it wasn’t the “right” audience.  The second night, the same thing. He was bold with who he was, and even in an out of place situation. I got to talk with him about it Saturday night after the show, and he said “I feel like these are the songs God gave me, and if I’m given the chance to share them, I will.” (BTW Shout out to Hootie as a band, for being that bold to allow Soni to share that even when it didn’t fit in the flow of the evening).

So here’s the breakdown of where my heart is after all this.

1. Be genuine in who you are. There shouldn’t be a situation that you have to tone down who you are. If you have different “versions” of who you are, then you have to ask yourself, which one is the real one.

 2. Don’t limit yourself to safe places. If you only are open and honest in the places you feel safe, then you are most likely ineffective.

3. Be bold. Yes there should always be tact, love, and discretion. But if you are given the opportunity to be bold, then be bold.