Is Music All I Know?

Yes.

Today I encountered Petra for the first time (a sad statement, to be sure, as I'm sure anyone who knows them would tell me). Something I should explain: I have been a fan of classic rock and roll for many years. So when Mark and I were discussing an assignment, and Petra came up, he was listening to it, looked at me, and said, "Shoot, man. They're good." Naturally, I had to investigate.

Petra was formed in the mid-70s, and enjoyed relative success until the early 90s, after which they began to fall off. The first Christian band to be featured in the famous Hard Rock Cafe, Petra's soaring success and influence painted a picture of a Christ who belonged in more than just churches.

"You can love the rock

And let Him free your soul"

Naturally, their lyrics were challenging for some listeners from a Christian background. They faced heavy criticism from traditionalists, yet the charts could not lie; Petra reached incredible success, and presented a loving Christ in their lyrics at every turn, despite accusations of 'backmasking', a practice where a message is recorded and played backwards over a track. In response to such allegations, Petra openly backmasked a phrase on their record, which, when played back, delivered a blatant overture towards their critics:

"Why are you looking for the devil when you oughta be looking for the Lord?"

Needless to say, Petra is a rare example of a Christian band that achieved relative mainstream acceptance, but not at the cost of their values. Even today, classic rock and roll is well-loved, and Petra remains an opportunity to talk about music and about Jesus, with those who love to rock out. After all, as Petra said: "God gave rock and roll to you". All we have to do is take advantage of it.