Entertainment

Several months ago I stumbled upon a sermon by John Piper on desiringgod.org.  The title of the sermon was “Total Abstinence and Church Membership.”, and focused sharply on the issue of alcohol.  His conclusion: “We engage…to seek God’s help in abstaining from all drugs, food, drink, and practices which bring unwarranted harm to the body or jeopardize our own or another’s faith.”

I can not stress enough how our behaviors and practices can jeopardize our own faith.  It has been a difficult struggle for me personally, to abandon my love affair with secular music.  And I pray that at some point in time, listening to artists whose music is not good for my soul will begin to literally make me feel sick.

"The Stranger" was written by Albert Camus and originally published in the French language in 1942. It is a novel that brilliantly depicts the depressing story of a young French man named Mersault. Mersault lives in a French colony in Algeria, Africa. If you read the book, it is important to understand the time and place of Mersault's life, as this plays a central role in his story. Remember that numerous European countries occupied various parts of Africa for many years, as they tried to "right the ways" of the African people and show them "how they should really live"—aka: colonization. Mersault's story also centers on Arab culture. Remember Arab societies reflect the importance of honor. If a certain family was shamed, the only way to restore honor to that family is to kill a member of the other family. This results in family feuds that can last for generations. 

As the title suggests, I have “Gone Indie” this week. Normally it is not my musical style of choice, but I have really enjoyed listening to these two albums and I think that both are amazing. The two albums I will be reviewing are Fangs! by Falling Up and The Hazards of Love by The Decemberists.