29/12/2023
*BEYOND THE MELODY*
_Immoral Music through the Lens of Faith_
In our daily life, music is a vehicle for emotions, carrying us through highs and lows. Yet, a strong shadow remains behind the melody โ the impact of ungodly and immoral music on our souls, and worst of it, on the tender hearts and spirits of our children and youth. Kindly spare a minute with me, let us examine the effects that this kind of music can exact on us, with a focus on our youngsters, for the sake of brevity.
As custodians of the future, our youth meet and explore a world where the lyrics of many contemporary songs lead them away from the path of righteousness. Music that glorifies excess, that is pleasure-seeking, and abnormalizes the sanctity of life, is fast becoming (or has become) a conflicting note in the make-up of our faith. We get to sing hymns during religious worship, and immediately after, we are caught up in melodies whose lyrics are the exact opposite of the values of our faith. Such melody transforms into a strong voice that echoes in our subconscious self, cunningly steering vulnerable minds away from the principles of kindness, empathy, spiritual authority, and the moral standards the Lord expects of us. Remember the melody of David that chased the evil spirits and sickness that plagued king Saul? 1Sam 16:23. This is to say every melody conveys the spiritual authority of its source. Take a moment to think of the negative energy, curses and satanic seeds we plant in ourselves when we ecstatically flow with the harmonious melody of immoral music, and how unfair and brutal we are when we adopt such for our children and normalise it for our youth.
Youthful innocence, like a delicate flower, is easily trampled underfoot by the weight of immoral lyrics. Songs that trivialise agape love, celebrate promiscuity, and normalise rebellion sn**ch away the purity of adolescence. Melody which the Creator intended for worship, to stir creativity, promote hardwork and remind humanity of hope, now becomes a master tool that takes away our core connection with God, and leaves the youth in hopeless echoes. Melody, which was once a source of joy, now becomes a psalm that mourns the lost innocence of a generation that should be wrapped in the protective embrace of godly values. Because life and death are in the power of the tongue, lyrics that mock faith and virtue tend to kill the still, small voice of the Spirit, which should guide the soul to a meaningful, purposeful and an inspiring life.
Psychiatrists and psychologists acknowledge, and have variously described the profound impact of music on the mental health of our youth, clearly pointing out that lyrics that glorify despair, violence, and self-destructive behaviours become echoes in the mind, leading to laziness, misjudgement, depression and more (Lander Romรกn โ 2022: Effects of music on well-being and mental-health, University of Barcelona). The divine entity of melody, instead of providing solace, becomes a relentless reminder of a world seemingly void of hope โ a stark contrast to the divine promise of a future filled with faith, love, and salvation. Whereas, when we fill our minds with godly melodies and positivity, we pave the way for greater productivity, stability, longevity, a brighter future and better divine interventions.
Permit me make this strong appeal to you โ thou of sound reasoning and moral consciousness; accept the call to be a guardian of our youth's hearts, for a child, when s/he is old will not depart from the way s/he was trained. Let your children STOP patronising any immoral music, and be right there as the police officer to enforce this. Delete all immoral music from their phones, tablets, laptops and other gadgets. Bar those Tv channels that promote immoral music. If they are copying from you, please be the first example, show them the right and helpful way. During home and public celebrations, let the music be objectively selected, instruct and warn your DJs. You are no longer ignorant that melody shapes not only our musical taste but our spiritual journey and general wellbeing.
If you stand for a society where our children and youth are guided toward music that uplifts, inspires, and aligns with divine values, please share this message.
Ndambi Ndaya, DBA