Amazing how a 28-year-old album can be more relevant than ever

[Gnarwhal]

Back in June 2020 I posted about a trio whose music I used to listen to when I got my first CD player in 1996 called dcTalk. They were very popular in the evangelical world, and two of the three members went on to even bigger careers (Toby Mac as a solo artist and Michael Tait as the frontman for the Newsboys).

Anyway, ever so often I bring up their Jesus Freak album on Apple Music. It was the first CD I ever bought. It's amazing how their music spoke to social issues but not in the way that we think of, especially today in 2023. Check out this song "What have we become?" (lyrics posted below) and look at how it speaks to contemporary culture in 2023 now more than ever:

A preacher shuns his brother​

Cause his bride's a different color​

And this is not acceptable​

His papa taught him so​

It was love that he'd been preaching​

But this was overreaching​

The boundaries stretchin' further​

Than his heart would choose to go​

Like an angel with no wings​

Like a kingdom with no king​

What have we become?​

A self indulgent people​

What have we become?​

Tell me where are the righteous ones?​

What have we become?​

In a world degenerating​

What have we become?​

Speak your mind, look out for yourself​

The answer to it all is a life of wealth​

Grab all you can cause you live just once​

You got the right to do whatever you want​

Don't worry about others or where you came from​

It ain't what you were, it's what you have become​

Mom and Dad are fightin'​

As Rosie lies there crying​

For once again she's overheard​

Regrets of their mistake​

With Christmas bells a-ringing​

Little Rosie'd leave them grieving The gift she'd give her family​

Would be the pills she'd take​

An inconvenient child​

She wasn't worth their while​

What about love?​

What about God?​

What about holiness?​

What about mercy, compassion and selflessness?​

You know it's true​

He is there for me and you​

Doesn't matter what you do​

What have we become?​

Have we come undone?​

What have we become?​

Have we come undone?​

What have we become?​

Selfish...​

With selfish...​

Selfish people​

When you gonna learn?​

Everyone of us​

Gathered 'round in trust​

What have we become?​