I used to think Christians have a monopoly on truth. I thought that only we could see the world as it truly is. But I have since come to realize that most humans are on the same page. We all have a deep awareness of the fact that this world–and the people in it–is capable of beauty and extreme horror. And I think we all know that something needs to be done in order for the beauty to redeem the horror. I do think that Christians hold the final piece to the puzzle, the part that says Jesus and proclaims a God who died and rose again in humble love for a rebellious people. But there are people all over the planet, holding to all sorts of religions, who see the other pieces of the puzzle.
I think we ought to embrace that, to agree with each other and mourn together the state of our chaotic world. I love finding truth in the mouths of non-Christians, because it confirms for me the deep awareness all humanity has of the story of history. One such group of non-Christians is Linkin Park. My seminary professor played this music video for my eschatology class, and it has been haunting me ever since. I highly encourage you to take three and a half minutes to watch it.
Race riots, nuclear explosions, starvation, avalanches. Linkin Park confronts their viewers with the reality of a broken world. This is Genesis 3-Revelation 20. This is the world we live in. But the Bible also includes Genesis 1 and 2, a story of creation, and Revelation 21 and 22, a story of recreation. And throughout the massive middle section, God continually works to create new things and to recreate the things that have gone wrong. Linkin Park shows this too–a cry for mercy, the birth of a child, the simple beauty of grass growing.
Let mercy come and wash away
What I’ve done
Linkin Park is emphatically not a Christian band. But in “What I’ve Done,” they preach the gospel for those with ears to hear.
It Is Trish 