A Christian Walks With Taylor Swift
I have this thing where I wonder whether Taylor Swift is taking up too much space in my inner life. Each time it flares up, I bring it to God in prayer. Each time so far, I find myself touched and walking with Taylor a little while longer.
I get in my car to drive to Seein’ is Believin’s Healing in the Outdoors youth mental health retreat. My radio is preset to the local CCM station, and in the slot underneath is Folklore, borrowed from the library. I’m aware I’m on mission this Saturday afternoon. What’s my soundtrack, Silence, Tomlin, or Taylor?
It’s a beautiful early summer day. The first song on the radio is an old favorite, and I sing along. The second one lets me think about my faith a little. With the third one, my mind is wandering, so I put in Folklore.
“The 1” is a stereotypical Swift song about a relationship that didn’t work out. It’s wistful, with some surprises in the rhythm. I’m driving through the university campus and its jumbled border with the city center. Halfway through “Cardigan,” I notice it. I’m seeing people. My gaze was inward, and now it’s outward. That’s why “Give Me Your Eyes” by Brandon Heath is one of my favorite contemporary Christian songs. “All those people, going somewhere / why have I never cared.” I’m hearing “Cardigan,” seeing the world, and still thinking about Christ.
There is a lot of passion in me about the state of the world and all those people around me. Taylor sings about a lot of those feelings, and I remember all too well how her music has connected me with people in the last year. A lot of CCM tunes out the world, and a lot of the time, we need that. But only listening to music that’s just about Christian themes can turn our eyes inward when we also need to be looking outward, where God is also at work.
Worship is where I turn my heart to God alone. But mission calls me to walk with the people God loves—and sometimes, that means Taylor Swift is part of the soundtrack. We will walk together a little while longer.