Bruce Springsteen Sings Romans 7
The lectionary readings for the past few weeks have been leading us through the book of Romans. I was listening to this song the other day by Bruce Springsteen and it clicked for me. This is what Romans 7 looks like, in case we want to romanticize it and isolate it from reality. This is what it looks like (or sounds like) to suffer with who we are and who we know we ought to be, to suffer and struggle and to never break free of the chains that hold us in place.
Bruce isn't singing about theology here, he's living it, observing it, recording it. That's authentic theology. He doesn't get to the Gospel, to the answer and solution (at least not in this particular song), but he does understand the need. Understands it and conveys it with a rawness that we all too often are lacking in the hymns and praise songs on Sunday morning.
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