29th August, 2005

JIM REIHER

Some questions seem to leave you open to attack no matter which side of the debate you end up arguing for. When Jesus was asked “Should we pay taxes to Caesar or not?”, He was being set up. Either answer was going to get Him into trouble. If He said “No - it’s a rip off and unjust - don’t pay ‘em!”, He would have been arrested and charged with treason. If He said, “Yes, be dutiful citizens and always follow the law,” He would have lost the interest and support of the common people. What did He do? What did He say?

PICTURE: James Lin (www.sxc.hu) "I suspect that Jesus would have some insightful answer to our question. Somewhere between “Give to Caesar that which is Caesar’s” and “A person’s life does not consist in the abundance of their possessions". In the light of eternal spiritual considerations, copying music fades into insignificance."

Jesus replied by deflecting the question and lifting the considerations to a higher level. He asked for a coin. One with the head of Caesar on it was given to Him. He went on to say: “Give to Caesar that which is Caesar's, and give to God that which is God's". What a great answer!

Is it ok to burn copies of music? I asked a group of young adult Christians that recently. They all admitted that they do. Everyone of them. But most of them also admitted that it is probably not technically right to do so. After all, it is against the law. And the artists and publishers don’t get their royalty or profit. It is, they admitted, kind of - almost - stealing. Well sort of. But not as serious.

The justifications followed thick and strong:

• Some laws are stupid and unfair (that’s true);

• Some laws cost poorer citizens more than richer ones (that’s true);

•Some laws make it really hard on you - do you know how much it would cost to actually pay proper prices for the CDs we have cut? We would not buy as many of them, and so the artists would still not make the sales or get their cuts (true again);

•By getting the music out to everyone, even if done on the cheap and illegally, then at least the musician is being promoted and getting known. That means that their concerts will be better attended and that is where they will recoup good profits - that and the merchandise (maybe);

• If you were consistent, you would not even copy a video or photocopy sections out of books without permission from publishers - it would be hugely burdensome and almost impossible to do that (maybe);

• To stop doing that won't make me perfect anyway. I have faults in other areas, so why choose just that to fix up and turn into something holy? (Don’t we try to overcome sin or imperfection as it becomes apparent to us? Do we stop growing because we can’t be perfect all at once?);

• It sounds like legalism (it could be for some);

• Church music directors have to put together compilations of various tracts from many sources, to help the music teams to learn new songs. It is being done for the glory of God (it might be); and,

• Surely it is the motive that counts: if it is Christian music and done to build you up and encourage you in the faith, it is different to doing it for sale or profit (read on...).

Despite the barrage of persuasive arguments above, it is still hard to imagine Jesus saying any of them. Consider the words of Jesus: “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?” (Luke 16:10-12).

I find it hard to imagine that Jesus would shift that principle and say that this seemingly small thing is OK to compromise on.

Jesus was once asked a pressing question by an angry man. This man had been ripped off by his brother and had not received any of the inheritance due to him. When he said to Jesus, “Tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me,” Jesus replied: “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?…Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:14,15).

I suspect that Jesus would have some insightful answer to our question as well. Somewhere between “Give to Caesar that which is Caesar’s” and “A person’s life does not consist in the abundance of their possessions". In the light of eternal spiritual considerations, copying music fades into insignificance.

Now I am not saying that it is wrong to listen to good music, or to produce or play good music. Of course, it is legitimate. But it is not what life is about. Life is not about making money, or fishing, or being good at sport, or working hard at your job. Life is not about collecting possessions, or reading lots of books. It is not even about reading lots of great articles in SIGHT magazine.

Life is about (first and foremost) loving the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and strength and mind, and then loving your neighbour as yourself (Mark 12:29-31). It is about walking through life living it for God. It is about being heavenly-minded and not worldly-minded (Colossians 3:1-2). And from that basis we then do lots and lots of other things that include much of the above.

Would Jesus burn music? No, I don’t think he would. And at the end of the day, isn’t that enough to give us our answer?