Celebrities have been claiming to be genuinely converted for decades. Some of them have been downright defiant about the particular degree to which they mixed their new life with the old. Most professing Christians gave them space to work both sides of the fence. Some only voiced belief long enough to sell a “gospel” album, then went back to being “silent witnesses.”
One singer/songwriter that was not even loosely connected to Christianity wrote a popular song regarding his spiritual status.
“Me and Jesus, got our own thing goin’
Me and Jesus, got it all worked out
Me and Jesus, got our own thing goin’
We don’t need anybody to tell us what it’s all about…” Tom T. Hall, 1972
Of course, that’s not the way God’s Kingdom works (Ephesians 4:11-16). In one of the verses, he explains how he felt about traditional Christianity.
“I know a man, who once was a sinner
I know a man, who once was a drunk
And I know a man, who once was a loser
He went out one day and made an altar out of a stump”
Then he sings the chorus again indicating that such an experience can be customized to make one an “island Christian” without any guidelines or standards except “me and Jesus.”
Back then, the attempt to promote an unbiblical customized arrangement with Christ wasn’t very effective or an organized trend. The “Me and Jesus” philosophy had no chance of becoming a successful Movement. The song became popular because in every beer joint sat daily scores of individuals who held the same philosophy. Continue reading
