wheldon

Sometimes a pop song comes along that is dreamy, filled with the hope and sheer joy of youthfulness. It makes you feel like the world is a wonderful place, that youth is a passionate, vibrant thing. You sing along to the words without really listening to them, convinced by the positive beat that all is well in the world, and in the song.

The song Forever Young by a band called Youth Group is such a song, a worldwide hit, the video filled with images from my youth in the '80s, skateboards and such-like. I love this song, the lightness, the memories that it evokes.

Then I look at the lyrics, not that I want to, I want it to be celebratory of my youth, of life, but I have to because I suspect there is something a little sinister going on.

There is much that I agree with.

The phrase, Heaven can wait we're only watching the skies - I am completely at one with - I don't want to die yet. I have a living, breathing loving relationship with my God here on earth. God created the earth and said it was good, and I'm completely in agreement with him. I love what he has created, the beauty, the wonder, the endless flow of life living and dying, the tides rising and falling. I don't need heaven yet, it can wait, for as long as possible. I have so much to do here, so much to give, to share, to learn, to enjoy. I would rather sit with my God on earth than die and go to heaven. But I remain certain that the same God who created earth has created heaven, and therefore it will be a place of even greater wonder, even though I find that hard to imagine. And the joy that I experience in worship will be greater in heaven as my Saviour will be there, directly present.

It's hard to get old without a cause
I don't want to perish like a fleeing horse
Youth's like diamonds in the sun
and diamonds are forever

Absolutey, I don't want to just fade into old age. There is a vitality, a recklessness about being young that invigorates and empowers me. But only amongst those youth who have a cause, without a cause young people are not only dull company, but their lives are as desperately meaningless as they are desperately meaningful when they have a cause. All that energy, that passion can be repressed within, a festering poison that leaks out in self destructive ways if there isn't anything positive, life-changing, world-changing cause into which to channel that energy. As desperate as adults who have no cause, no passion, the diamond of youth can easily fade, buried deep within the repressive lifestyles of suburban malaise. But this is, unfortunately, not what the song is saying, it is really saying that there's no point getting old ...

I want to be forever young
Let us die young or let us live forever ...

Some are a melody and some are the beat
Sonner or later they will all be gone
why don't they stay young?

Now we're entering problematic territory. We're no longer merely suggesting that we can stay in the midset of a young person, we have moved beyond that. Now the suggestion is made that it may be better to die young.

Do you really want to live forever?

And now we're querying the truth of Christianity, yes we do want to live forever, there is no question, it is the foundation of our faith that Jesus died so that we may live forever.

And so we end up with a song that sounds happy, positive, full of life, and yet its message is, at the very least, questionnable. At its worst, it is seductively promoting the ideal of youth suicide. I personally wouldn't go that far, but it is certainly an excellent example of where pop music is at, how it can get into one's mind, how you can wander around unintentionally singing words that go against one's faith.

The devil is a clever creature, he continues to fool us through the mass media, through songs and TV etc that seem innocuous. In this case, through a perfectly gentle, pleasant, middle of the road pop song.

God bless
Wheldon

www.curzonhobson.com

Fipi

Thanks, I totally agree with you - I tend to focus a lot more on the tune of a song instead of the lyrics, so I have to be careful when I listen to popular music. But I hardly listen to popular music, so that helps a bit.
But it's the same thing with other forms of popular media, TV and movies especially. We have to be careful to see the world through God's eyes.

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
-Romans 12:2

smellycat

do i want to live forever,yes,all them mansions in the heavens,all the people who have left here.it would take a long time to visit all Gods work on this earth.star jumping might be my next new hobby.or even another dimension,the future with Jesus is gonna be cool.

Housesitter

COMMENT FROM MODERATOR

This thread has been moved from the New Members Welcome area to General Discussion.

Please try to post threads in the relevant section of the forum as it helps members find what they are looking for.

__________________
Ray
Enjoy a rent free holiday with
Christian House Sitters
www.christian-housesitters.com

Mark_18

People are rediculous to get any ideas that they don't want to go to heaven. We can't NOT want to be there once we see. And eternity only scares us because we think of an eternity in this conciousness on earth with the evil and everything.

__________________
Luke 15:31 - And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
Joel 2:28 - I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
Matthew 7:7 - Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Psalms 126:5 - Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.

JOKE POLICE

Fluffy

I used to listen to Rock and Roll, then, after I made Jesus Lord, my taste in music changed.
Then, one day, I happened to be listening to some of the old music I used to be into, and I was appalled at the verses. I actually enjoyed listening to that? I really didnt pay any attention to the lyrics back then. And if I had, I am sure I would have stopped, once I realized what was being said! yuck!

About getting old, now that I am getting there, I'm finding its not so bad. There is the down side, of course, but the up side out weighs it by tons! Maturity, confidence, wisdom (well, what I've been able to glean, anyway hee!) there is so much more! Dont put down age just because its old and doesnt have the vibrant energy it used to have. There are other benefits to age that you dont get until your old! ha!

__________________
Be transparent before God, He sees right thru you, anyway!
http://www.likepreciousfaith.org/testimony_val.htm
Please pray for your local emergency responders, daily.

Jon-Marc

I just answered this same question in another forum. I don't want to live forever in this sin-cursed, hate-filled world, but I will life forever with my blessed Lord.

smellycat

share your thought,s on that one,i would not stay in bo ho world,world of pain.i think they are like it says in shawshanks,institutionalised.they seem to like pain.

Watchman

The same thing happend to me, what was I thinking back then? The world sold me lies and i bought them.

Back to the topic, lving forever.. Yes. Because if there were to be an ending, what would be the point of having a beginning....Selah

__________________
Habakkuk 3:2LORD, I have heard of your fame;
I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD.
Renew them in our day,
in our time make them known;
in wrath remember mercy

NearertoGod

Do I want to live forever in this world?

A lot of times, I don't really focus much on this world. It bothers me what goes on, and some of the horrible, sick things people do, but it doesn't make up my life.

When we think about Heaven, I think we can only get a mental image of what we may think it's going to be like, but I'm sure it'll be something we never could have imagined.

__________________
As a Helper at CFS I am here to assist the members. I will try to help you as best as possible so please do not hesitate to come to me with any questions or concerns you may have.

Jesus came here not condemn, but to save.

Nature is God's gift to us. He loves it as much as He loves us, and we should give respect to Nature because believe it or not - it takes care of me and you more than you know.