“Vindicate me, Lord, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered. Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness. I do not sit with the deceitful, nor do I associate with hypocrites. I abhor the assembly of evildoers and refuse to sit with the wicked. I wash my hands in innocence, and go about your altar, Lord, proclaiming aloud your praise and telling of all your wonderful deeds.” Psalms 26:1-7
It's official. The phenomenon that is Taylor Swift has touched down in the UK. It's estimated the effect on our economy from Taylor's UK concerts will be in the region of £1 billion and, that siesmic activity in the order of a 2.3 magnitude earthquake can be expected during her concerts - such will be the fever pitch.
With the Taylor-effect in mind, if you’re going to attend one of the concerts during the up coming UK tour, here are three things Christians could check before and after the event.
A Worshipping Heart
First, with the Psalmist it would be good to say, ‘examine my heart Lord’.
Taylor swift is a goddess to her cult following. Her adoring fans assemble together to worship, that's why the histeria is as great as it is. The hearts of her fans are besotted with her and besotted with her appeal. And that’s a heady environment for a Christian to be in.
The Psalmist takes steps to make sure that his heart doesn’t run after the same things that the assembly of the wicked run after - he invites the Lord to test him, and try him, and examine him. So the christian Taylor fan would want to check that their heart didn’t run after Taylor the way the crowd's heart runs after her. Worship comes from the heart, but the heart can be so easily seduced. Join the Psalmist in being valiant for a pure, worshipping, God-besotted heart that doesn't idolise Taylor.
A Pure Mind
Second, with the Psalmist it would be good to say, ‘examine my mind Lord'.
Taylor multiplies lots of words during her three and half hour performances and all of them convey ideas - her ideas. Her lyrics convey her heart - that's part of the appeal of her music. The catch is that her ideas are not Christian ideas, they are secular, liberal, progressive, ungodly ideas.
The Psalmist wants the Lord to search him and find in his mind thoughts that reflect the truth about who God is and what he loves. He wants God to find a mindfulness in him that is shaped by God's unfailing love and his faithfulness. He knows the mind can be influenced by the ideas of the world he lives in, but he knows that God wants a pure mind as well as a pure heart, and that the two are not unconnected.
So, it would be good to check that Taylor's attitudes to love and relationships, self empowerment, sexual orientation, amongst other issues, were not the governing influences, but that God's attitudes are the ones that are ultimately shaping.
Tongues Reseved For God
Third, with the Psalmist, desire to proclaim aloud God's praise.
The Psalmist wants the words that come out of his mouth to be the kind that honour God and glorify him for his surpassing worth. He knows the tongue is 'full of deadly poison' (James 3:8) and that he will give an account on the Day of Judgment for 'every empty word' (Matthew 12:36), and those realities shape his speech.
One of the most powerful and wonderful, or else terrifying, things about music is that it has a possessing quality that influences its listeners to regurgitate its words. The words that Taylor wrote combined with the music that carries them, powerfully influences the fan to repeat her words. Her words become their words - empty words that God will make them own at the end. So, it would be good to join with the Psalmist and examine the tongue in light of Taylor's influential music - 'am I repeating words, and sentences, and phrases God would approve of?'
Let the lips of the righteous tell of his wonderful deeds, not hers. Let them proclaim aloud his praise, not hers.
In The World, But Not Of It
The reality is we sit with the 'deceitful' and associate with the 'hypocrites' most of the time. Every day we spend at work, we're doing that. The point is, that we don't fall in with the deceitful and the hypocrite. We don't do as they do. The christian Taylor fan will want to check their heart, mind and tongue to make sure they have not sacrificed at the altar of Taylor Swift; that they have not assembled with evildoers, or sat with the wicked.
And, they will want to be able to say 'I have not faltered over Taylor Swift, Lord'.
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