Evangelism and Rock and Roll

As a missionary, I do quite a bit of thinking about what evangelism should look like. No doubt, if you lived anywhere near the South or have any kind of contact with Christian people, evangelism has affected you in some way. (If you're not a Christian, that way has, I'm sorry to say, probably been very negative and hurtful.) Working with a campus ministry, I also hear a lot of students express their ideas of what Jesus meant when he told us to "go and make disciples of all nations." Opinions here in Mexico range from handing out tracks to "we should play songs at our Bible studies (which are heald outside in a very high-traffic area of campus) so that kids will here us singing about Jesus and come to our studies." Now, the purpose of this post is not to deconstruct these ideas of evangelism. Actually, I'm writing about evangelism because I was very encouraged a few days ago when I opened my Myspace account and saw a bulletin written by a band called Manchester Orchestra about a band called Anathallo. I have been following Anathallo for some years now, and have always been amazed by the mastery their music expresses as the gospel bleeds through every song. I have also had the opportunity to meet these fellows and have been humbled by the integrity between the things they express in their music and the way they live their lives.

The following is, in my opinion, what Christians in a band should be known for. Not for not using curse words, or for not playing/listening to "secular music," but for these things...



"When we started this band 3 or 4 years ago we had no idea what we were doing. Not that we know much at all now, but at least we know a little more. This is in part to two bands that at the time (all of us 17 and 18 years old) allowed our band to tag along. Anathallo and a band called Colour revolt decided to take a chance on us and give us almost every show they would play in our respective regional area. Not only this but seeing as MO had absolutely NO means of making money and no product to sell at these shows, we would of in any other circumstance come back home several hundred dollars in the hole. Anathallo was the "biggest" band we knew in the world, so they would be headlining all of these shows we would play. They didn't only treat us with respect and as equals, they would financially give us the same amount of money that they (the headliners) rightfully made... giving us (the shitty opening band) enough gas to get back home and eventually record an EP. I know its long winded but the guys in Anathallo have been the truest of older brothers to me, carefully guiding me through the idea and concept of touring, helping us in the band make wise and calculated decisions on management, label, distribution, and just troubled soul syndrome that most people acquire while on the road....