"...don't go trying some new fashion; don't change the
colour of your hair; I could not love you any better; I love you just the way you are... "
These are some of the words of the music belting out from the sound system of a cab I boarded while going somewhere important, a day after the 10th year anniversary of 9/11. Not sure who the artiste with such a lush baritone was, I asked my Filipino driver, who said something in smattering English which I could not make head or tail of. But I was enjoying this music. It was freewheeling down my soul. I really relished the lyrics, especially the part that said "I love you just the way you are". Boy! It was as if the music should not end. The music drown my worries and muffled a babel of jarring voices of doubt. However, not quite long, the music came to an end but not in my mind, and the announcer told us the artiste behind the baritone which has held me spell-bound. Barry White!
Of course, I should have known this guy! Any genuine lover of good music should have known this iconic artiste. But, before you go calling me a fuddy-duddy, let me state here that I grew up as a Christian in an era when the so called Scripture Union (S.U) Christians also known as Born Again Christians used to literally retch at secular music. There was this pervasive belief then, that secular music came from Satan's 'inner sanctum' of vulgarity and you were in danger of hell if you continued listening to such "unholy" music. So, as a young believer who was still wet between the ears I became so ill-disposed to secular musicians and their music to the point of avoiding them like plaque even when some of these music were not so replete with sexual innuendos and violence as we were made to believe. Thankfully, that mindset helped in a way. Yes, it prevented me from swift descent into the abyss of social vices and guided me through the difficult maze of youthful exuberance. And if truth be told, some of the beliefs acquired at that particular period of my history have formed the bedrock upon which my core values and belief systems are built today.
However, now that I am of a free spirit, I have an axe to grind with a provincial thought that says secular songs should not be listened to by (Born Again) Christians or anybody at that. I venture to say that some of these so called secular songs are not only inspirational but also do touch a chord , just like the song (by Barry White) in question had done to me, that beautiful morning.
The wordings of the song kept coming to me even, long after I have alighted from the cab and forgotten about the driver. The song reminded me of God's love towards me and the fact that He loves me just the way I am. The lyrics of the song, especially the part that says "just the way you are" made God's love towards me so real, so practical and not just another airy-fairy philosophy of a confused theologian. No doubt, Barry White is serenading a belle in that song, but as far as I am concerned, it is God telling me "don't go trying some new fashion; don't change the colour of your hair; I could not love you any better; I love you just the way you are".
As a matter of fact, it takes a deeply reflective mind to really appreciate God for His unconditional love and undeserved daily mercies. I do choke back tears when I remember that despite my failings, faults and foibles, He never send me to the pillory or gas chambers like some sexless African gods would have done. In spite of what I did last summer and this summer and my hole-and-corner activities, He never ask me to do time in the purgatory. He just loves me warts and all!
I do not have to tint my Afro-textured hair or grow some Arab-style side whiskers to be accepted of Him. I do not have to slather some expensive Paris-made bleaching cream on my body or alter my facial symmetry to impress Him. I do not have to fake an upper crust English accent or go learning one foreign language to have an audience with Him. He just loves me the way I am .
He loves me, with all my morning breath and other breaches of hygiene. He loves me, just the way I am.
ADEDAYO GABRIEL FATOKI
These are some of the words of the music belting out from the sound system of a cab I boarded while going somewhere important, a day after the 10th year anniversary of 9/11. Not sure who the artiste with such a lush baritone was, I asked my Filipino driver, who said something in smattering English which I could not make head or tail of. But I was enjoying this music. It was freewheeling down my soul. I really relished the lyrics, especially the part that said "I love you just the way you are". Boy! It was as if the music should not end. The music drown my worries and muffled a babel of jarring voices of doubt. However, not quite long, the music came to an end but not in my mind, and the announcer told us the artiste behind the baritone which has held me spell-bound. Barry White!
Of course, I should have known this guy! Any genuine lover of good music should have known this iconic artiste. But, before you go calling me a fuddy-duddy, let me state here that I grew up as a Christian in an era when the so called Scripture Union (S.U) Christians also known as Born Again Christians used to literally retch at secular music. There was this pervasive belief then, that secular music came from Satan's 'inner sanctum' of vulgarity and you were in danger of hell if you continued listening to such "unholy" music. So, as a young believer who was still wet between the ears I became so ill-disposed to secular musicians and their music to the point of avoiding them like plaque even when some of these music were not so replete with sexual innuendos and violence as we were made to believe. Thankfully, that mindset helped in a way. Yes, it prevented me from swift descent into the abyss of social vices and guided me through the difficult maze of youthful exuberance. And if truth be told, some of the beliefs acquired at that particular period of my history have formed the bedrock upon which my core values and belief systems are built today.
However, now that I am of a free spirit, I have an axe to grind with a provincial thought that says secular songs should not be listened to by (Born Again) Christians or anybody at that. I venture to say that some of these so called secular songs are not only inspirational but also do touch a chord , just like the song (by Barry White) in question had done to me, that beautiful morning.
The wordings of the song kept coming to me even, long after I have alighted from the cab and forgotten about the driver. The song reminded me of God's love towards me and the fact that He loves me just the way I am. The lyrics of the song, especially the part that says "just the way you are" made God's love towards me so real, so practical and not just another airy-fairy philosophy of a confused theologian. No doubt, Barry White is serenading a belle in that song, but as far as I am concerned, it is God telling me "don't go trying some new fashion; don't change the colour of your hair; I could not love you any better; I love you just the way you are".
As a matter of fact, it takes a deeply reflective mind to really appreciate God for His unconditional love and undeserved daily mercies. I do choke back tears when I remember that despite my failings, faults and foibles, He never send me to the pillory or gas chambers like some sexless African gods would have done. In spite of what I did last summer and this summer and my hole-and-corner activities, He never ask me to do time in the purgatory. He just loves me warts and all!
I do not have to tint my Afro-textured hair or grow some Arab-style side whiskers to be accepted of Him. I do not have to slather some expensive Paris-made bleaching cream on my body or alter my facial symmetry to impress Him. I do not have to fake an upper crust English accent or go learning one foreign language to have an audience with Him. He just loves me the way I am .
He loves me, with all my morning breath and other breaches of hygiene. He loves me, just the way I am.
ADEDAYO GABRIEL FATOKI
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