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Culture Watch:The Appeal of Courage
by Lee Warren (Lee's bio)
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Sixteen years ago, I fell in love. Not with a woman, but with heavy metal music. It sounds odd, I know. But it is true. After becoming a Christian, I often wondered why music had been so important in my life. The lyrics had a lot to do with it. They spoke about the same struggles I often experienced in my life; lost love, loneliness, and an unwillingness to conform to what society deemed to be the norm.
But to be honest, some of the music I enjoyed had little to do with deep lyrics. Many of the songs referred to sex outside of marriage. Some of the songs were just the nonsensical ramblings of somebody who was obviously in pain. Some of the songs were just fluff—“bubble gum” rock it was called.
After becoming a Christian, I just avoided heavy metal music. A few years ago, while watching the movie Braveheart, something clicked. If you are unfamiliar with the storyline, here's a crash course. The movie depicts the history of King Edward I “Longshanks,” the king of England, invading Scotland in the 1200's to claim it for himself. Scotland yearns to be free, but since the death of their king, they are divided into many clans who battle for the rule of the country. Some of the clan leaders accept bribes from England and that keeps the tribes from uniting and staring a revolution against England.
Along comes William Wallace. A Scotsman who doesn't want to fight, but when an English officer murders his wife, he has all the motivation he needs. He organizes men to fight against England with the hope that the clans will unite under a man named Robert The Bruce, who is the rightful heir to the throne of Scotland. But Bruce sees little hope in uniting the clans and he is fearful of dying in the process. When Bruce complains to Wallace that the people of Scotland won't follow him even though he is the rightful heir to the throne, Wallace says, “Men don't follow titles, they follow courage.”
I replayed that part of the movie over and over the first time I saw it. I thought about that line a lot over the next few days. Then, it hit me. I was drawn to heavy metal bands because I admired their courage. Especially since I shared their worldview at the time. They didn't care what anybody thought about them. Their stage presence and lyrics dripped of conviction and that conviction challenged those who disagreed with their message to be courageous enough to voice their disagreement.
When I first started listening to Christian radio in the early 1990's, Christianity had the same allure to me. I listened to men who took biblical stands on cultural issues that were contrary to where I stood. I listened because they were bold. That led to an internal war with two competing worldviews. If I hadn't heard a bold message from Christianity, I would not have been interested. I needed to be told that in order to become a Christian, I would have to lay my life down and live as a servant to King Jesus. Then I needed to see people who actually did it. When I did, I was moved by the way they combined courage and boldness with love for the sinner.
I don't think I was alone. People are always going to be attracted to bold messages. The question is—are we just as willing as a heavy metal singer to stand in front of a crowd and express our convictions? How about in front of our neighbor, or in letters to the editor, or in school board meetings, or in political campaigns? In Ecclesiastes 3:7, King Solomon says that there is a time to keep silent and a time to speak. When the time to speak does come, are we willing to do it? Or are we like Robert The Bruce, complaining that nobody will follow our King while at the same time lacking the courage to proclaim him as such?
Copyright 2003, Lee Warren. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
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About Lee Warren: Lee Warren is a freelance writer from Omaha, Nebraska. He has written for various publications and is currently working on a novel. If you are interested in reading more of his work or in receiving his column via e-mail, please go to his website: www.leewarren.net or drop him an e-mail: LeeWJunior@cox.net.
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