Is God’s Love Reckless?

Since its rise to popularity, Cory Asbury’s worship ballad “Reckless Love” has earned Asbury multiple Dove awards, has well over one hundred million YouTube views, and has been a mainstay in the top 10 worship songs used in churches (according to CCLI). But it has not been without controversy, and rightly so.

The song gets its title from the opening line of the chorus, which says, “O, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God…”

According to Merriam-Webster, the word ‘reckless’ means…

 1 : marked by lack of proper caution : careless of consequences

 2 : irresponsible

Is this truly a word we want to associate with the love of God?

Synonyms include daredevil, foolhardy, hell-for-leather, and kamikaze.

These are not exactly positive associations for a word being used to describe what is commonly considered one of God’s premier attributes.

Through the centuries, English-speaking preachers and songwriters have used numerous adjectives to seek to describe the love of God… amazing, beautiful, captivating, enduring, great, indescribable, marvelous, pure, sanctifying, satisfying, wonderful, and so many more. But prior to this song, seeking to find a Christian use of the word reckless to describe God’s love is like trying to find a needle in a field full of haystacks.

In one of his more popular “Ask Pastor John” podcasts, pastor-theologian Dr. John Piper, himself no stranger to adjectives, tackled the question of whether a congregation should even sing “Reckless Love.” He points out that it is possible to import your own meaning on the surprising lyric so that it is acceptable, but he also makes a plea to songwriters to choose words that do not require that kind of work for the congregation.

I agree. There is no doubt whatsoever that God’s love is not reckless. God’s love is not marked by a lack of proper caution. God’s love is not careless of consequences. God’s love is not irresponsible.

That said, from a human perspective, God’s love can certainly appear to be reckless. When a lost sinner’s eyes are opened to the wretchedness of his own sin, when he sees how truly unworthy he is, and when he begins to think of himself as beyond redemption, at that point God’s love in action for him can seem to be a truly risky, and even reckless, endeavor. In this sense, one can begin to understand why someone might sing of God’s reckless love.

But what seems to be true is not always true. And that is certainly the case with the word reckless when it comes to God’s love.

The lyrics of “Reckless Love” are based upon the parable of the lost sheep, as recorded in the fifteenth chapter of Luke’s Gospel. In the chorus of the song, reference is made to how the shepherd is willing to leave the ninety-nine sheep to rescue the lost one. By associating the word reckless with this biblical parable, the songwriters seem to imply that it was an irresponsible act for the shepherd to leave the ninety-nine for the one lost sheep.

According to Luke 15:4, Jesus asks, “What man among you, who has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open field and go after the lost one until he finds it?”

The songwriters of “Reckless Love” miss an important reality. According to verse four, Jesus does not portray the act of the leaving of the ninety-nine in pursuit of the one as irresponsible, but as an expected, normal action.

The shepherd is able to responsibly leave the flock of ninety-nine because they are already safe. His loving action for the lost one is beautiful and wonderful, but it is not irresponsible or reckless.

So why is this concept of God’s love being reckless so attractive? My theory is that it fits well into a modern romantic view of God’s love. There are a considerable number of Christians who like to think of God’s love much like they think about romantic love between a man and a woman. It is not uncommon for a woman to be attracted to the idea of a man being reckless and risky in pursuing her. The idea that a man would risk it all for a woman’s love is not in the least bit unfamiliar to love stories today.

But while there are certainly valid parallels in comparing the love of God toward us with the romantic love between a man and a woman, there are numerous ways in which one can contrast the differences as well. And this is such a case.

One might say, “But you are being too nit-picky! Lighten up. Just enjoy the song!” The problem with that is simply this… God is looking for those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:20-24).

Truth matters, especially when false teaching is threatening God’s people. One of the dangers of singing of God’s love as reckless is that such language about God’s love actually fits well with an aberrant theology that has become in vogue among some today. This particular false teaching places a heavy emphasis on the possibilities of the future in an effort to protect the doctrine of man’s free will. But in the process God’s omniscience, omnipotence, and sovereignty are diminished.

Based upon a careful examination of the rest of the lyrics of the song, it seems safe to assume that the writers of “Reckless Love” do not embrace the aforementioned bad theology. But by writing such a successful and popular song that uses the word reckless to describe God’s love, they might be unwittingly contributing to the idea that God truly is engaging in reckless behavior when He loves us. This is a consequence that reveals a lack of proper caution, and might even be considered careless, or irresponsible, songwriting.

It might even be safe to say that the choice of the word ‘reckless’ to describe God’s love is, pardon the repetition, reckless.

Do You Ever Sing the Psalms?

Do you sing the Psalms?   I’ll admit, I have very little experience or knowledge in this area. But I do want to grow in my knowledge and, hopefully, practice of singing the Psalms. After all, Psalms are, by definition, songs. They were meant to be sung. Many of the Psalms are preceded by instructions to the musicians who would lead the people in singing the song (psalm). For example, these words precede Psalm 55 (MEV):

For the Music Director. With stringed instruments. A Contemplative Maskil of David.

Perhaps you are aware that many churches in the past only sung Psalms in their worship service. Churches that started using hymns in worship were considered by the traditionalists as liberal and radical! It seems that today the pendulum has swung to the other extreme, because now it is rare to go to any church that sings a single Psalm in an entire calendar year!

I believe we need to find some balance. After all, we are commanded to sing Psalms:

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.  (Colossians 3.16, MEV)

Speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.  (Ephesians 5.19, MEV)

So where find resources to help you sing the Psalms? Here are some websites that might be of service to you on this topic:

The Psalms Project – Gifted musicians, including some well-known Christian artists, combine to set the Psalms to contemporary worship.

Contemporary Psalms – Blogger Christine Longhurst has set up an index of contemporary worships songs inspired by the Psalms. Some of the links are broken/out of date.

Prayerbook – Artist Brian Moss is seeking to write tunes for all the Psalms. Looks like he has two CDs out so far, covering Psalms 1-30.

If you want to go for a more traditional approach, there is always the Scottish Metrical Psalmbook (commonly known as the 1650 Scottish Psalter). These metrical psalms are the books of Psalms, rewritten to be easily set to song. Here is the always popular Psalm 23 in metrical form:

1. The Lord’s my Shepherd, I’ll not want;
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.

2. My soul He doth restore again,
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
E’en for His own Name’s sake.

3. Yea, though I walk through death’s dark vale,
Yet will I fear no ill,
For Thou art with me, and Thy rod
And staff me comfort still.

4. A table Thou hast furnished me
In presence of my foes;
My head Thou dost with oil anoint,
And my cup overflows.

5. Goodness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow me,
And in God’s house forevermore
My dwelling place shall be.

Here are a couple of youtube videos of Psalm 23 in this form:

 

If you are interested in owning the 1650 Scottish Psalter, the Trinitarian Bible Society has copies available for as little as $5.50. They also offer it as an appendix to the Windsor Text Bible. I own this version (TBS Windsor w/ Metrical Psalms). If you want a cheaper copy, they have the hardback edition for only $20.

Finally, I found thepsalmssung.org, a blog that offers mp3 musical renditions of several of the psalms. It’s worth a browse, at minimum.

Rich Mullins Graduated to Glory Fifteen Years Ago Today

On September 19, 1997, somewhere on I-39 north of Bloomington, Illinois, Rich Mullins was involved in an accident that resulted in his death. I was privileged to meet and hang out with Rich for about 30 minutes one night in college with a few of my classmates. He was down-to-earth, engaging, provocative, and fun. As I reflect upon his life, I loved his music, his artistic word pictures, and his anti-celebrity. Hard to believe it’s been fifteen years.

My Favorite Easter Song

We did this song this morning and I love it!

Best Commercial

Wow.

Bible Saturation – Singing the Bible

Singing is a great way to get God’s Word into our hearts. Seeds Family Worship is a great resource for helping us sing God’s Word. I frequently hear our children singing God’s Word as as they play because they have heard songs like this so often:

Praise Him in the City

“With my mouth I will give thanks abundantly to the LORD;
And in the midst of many I will praise Him.”
– Psalm 107.30

Family Worship Video – Philippians 4.6-7

Instill a Love for God’s Word in your Children

Only God can really put a love for Himself and His Word in a child’s heart, but that does not resolve the parent from a responsibility to seek to make God’s Word attractive to the young ones.

I want to instill in my children a love for God’s Word. I want them to bleed Bible. I take seriously the command of God as given through Moses:

6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. – Deuteronomy 6.6-9, ESV.

What are some practical ways of doing this in today’s home?

50 Years Ago Today…the Best

Fifty years ago today Columbia records released Kind of Blue by Miles Davis. It is considered the greatest jazz LP of all time. It is also one of my favorites of all time.

In case you were wondering (I know, very slim chance), here’s my all-time favorite LPs (in alphabetical order by title):