Those Guys are Christians!

The debut album from Fiction Family, a collaboration between Jon Foreman, of Switchfoot fame, and Sean Watkins, of Nickel Creek, was reviewed on Fresh Air, Monday, Jan. 26, 2008. Click here to hear the 7 minute review.

I sometimes fear that my excitement over Christian personalities is perceived in the same light as Adam Sandler's "The Hanukkah Song," which seems to be a satire about the "Jewish ghetto," and how, for any notable Jewish person in history, all good members of the Jewish community are sure to point out that, "he's jewish" or "Did you know? She's a good Jew."

Christians, from the "Christain gettho" do the same thing, and I'm kind of embarrassed when I here myself say, "Did you know? He's a Christian (New York Jewish mother accent, and stress on the words "know" and "He's"). It seems to be happening more and more. People who happen to be Christians, are popping up all over the entertainment world. (Someone told me that her Mormon friend does the same thing all the time. I know about Katherine Heigl, but are there other notable Mormons out there? No need to comment.)

I want people to know that my faith is about more than a popularity contest, that I search for comfort in truth, not necessarily in numbers (not to say that I want to be isolationist or esoteric either). So I try to guard my excitement around some people who might read that enthusiasm as a testament to their perception that Christianity is paper thin and and something believed by the easily-swayed masses. I play it cool; of course I'm a Christian, all cool people are. I flick my cigarette and run my fingers through my thinning hair.

I think that's why Jon Foreman and Sean Watkins are kind of "hush, hush" about their faith. They want to be perceived as quality musicians--cool by definition--who happen to believe that Christianity is true. They hope that maybe people will see that their faith in Christ and love of God is authentic and marked by an honest search for truth. And maybe, just maybe, they can be ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor. 5:18-21), by doing what they do well, and letting Christ shine in their conduct, their words, and their honesty, even if they don't express that faith explicitly.

Hear's what the members of Nickle Creek said about their faith in a CMT interview:
"18. There is an undeniable spiritual quality to your music and lyrics. Would you comment about your faith and how it influences your musical expression?
Chris: We're all Christians, although we're not a Christian band, per se. The most important thing to us is that we feel that we've been given a gift from God of being able to perform and to record for people. We basically just want to use that gift as we feel God would have us use it.
Sean: Also, bands like Rage Against the Machine, they write about what they're passionate about, social issues or whatever. This is just one thing that we happen to be passionate about. It just kinda comes out naturally, I think.
Chris: Even if a song isn't blatantly Christian or isn't a hymn, it doesn't mean it doesn't have that feeling in it. Some people pick up on that. The people that want to, hopefully, do. The people that don't, maybe they'll get something from it anyway." source.

My faith is deep and strengthened by an honest search for the good, the eternal, the beautiful, and the true, and I hope people can see that. Still, Ken Tucker, pop music critic, and Editor-at- Large for Entertainment Weekly reviewed the debut album from Fiction Family on Monday, and I just have to say...,"those guys are Christians!"