A few days ago, Harold Brown (also known as harolddd) and Pat Barrett released a song called “Lightning.” It is a song filled with cries of lament specifically inspired by the death of George Floyd and lack of racial justice in this nation. In the caption of the IGTV release, Pat wrote, “this has been a song for ‘now.’” And indeed, it is.
“Now” is a time like no other. We’ve heard it over and over again. We’re living in “unprecedented times.” Whether because of the pandemic or our new awareness of police brutality and systemic racism, we are conscious of the sinful underbelly of our world and the depravity of our own hearts.
Our realizations have led many of us to pray about things we’ve never prayed about before: sins that we were too ashamed to admit, justice that is still absent from our societies, or brokenness in our communities that have come from years of hurt and unforgiveness.
Sitting in our houses in quarantine, we’ve had to get real with ourselves and ask questions like, “Why is it that I can have everything taken away from me, but I’m still not desperate for God?”
As we untangle and process our thoughts and hearts, I believe we should also focus on an important aspect of our Christian worship: music. In these unprecedented times, songs for “now” matter now more than ever. And I believe that any of us can write one.
“Sing to the Lord a new song;
to the Lord, all the earth.Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.”(Psalm 96:1-2, NIV)
Although we may assume that writing worship music is unapproachable and hard to accomplish, this passage tells us the contrary: singing a new song to the Lord is an invitation to all the earth. The first verse invites the whole world to sing a new song; not just the musically talented, poetic, and creative, but all the earth, praise his name!
The invitation to sing a new song is not only all-inclusive, but it’s also an invitation for all time. Verse 2 tells us to “sing to the Lord, praise his name, and proclaim his salvation day after day.” So we need to constantly ask ourselves a challenging question: “Lord, how can I praise you today?” The Lord is always worthy of our praise but to figure out how and why He is worthy is a spiritual endeavor in itself.
Even when racial injustice seems to rule the day after centuries of lament and violence, the Lord is worthy of our praise. Even when there is a pandemic killing thousands of people, the Lord is worthy of our praise. We may know these things in our heads, but not perhaps in our hearts and souls.
To bridge that distance, God has given us the gift of song. Singing often gives words quicker and stronger access to the soul. How often has belting out a tune given solace to a broken heart or a chorus sung in whispers become a mantra to get through the day? Singing a new song helps the thoughts of our minds develop into the pleas of our hearts.
So whether you’re an experienced songwriter or consider yourself tone-deaf, I challenge you to sing a new song to the Lord today. It doesn’t need to be eloquent. It doesn’t need to have an orchestral accompaniment – in fact, it doesn’t even need any instruments at all. But if you find yourself confused and lost in the midst of current events and chaos, start by asking yourself, “How is God worthy of my praise today?” And perhaps God will show himself to you in a way he never has before.
If you find yourself at a loss of words and melody, find a friend to write with, or find someone who has written a song recently and sing it with them. Music, after all, is better when shared. Paul writes of this in Colossians 3:16 (NIV):
“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”
God reveals himself to people who seek after him. And these discoveries should be shared with others. A song for now that you write can speak to others with similar questions, doubts, and fears in a powerful way.
“Now” is a time like no other, and not just because of the pandemic and political climate. Now is a time like no other because it is the only moment where we can choose to worship the Lord and draw nearer to him. We can’t go back in time and worship God yesterday, and we can’t be certain that we will be alive to worship God tomorrow. But if we sing a song for “now,” we will see how God is worthy of our praise in this unprecedented moment and every unprecedented moment to come.