Here’s the thing Amy, turns out I’m perfect. I know, surprising, right? True, there was some sin in my life in the fall of 1997 and then again during Labor Day weekend in 2001, but those days are long gone. I’m flawless and I thought you were too. I thought you were one of us, but then you went and got a divorce.
Soooo, I had to stop listening to your music. It was bad enough that in the video for your pop crossover hit, “Baby, Baby,” you agreed to dance around with some dude as if the song was about loving a guy when all your real fans, the people that have supported you through thick and thin, knew that wasn’t the real meaning of the song. That’s when I first got nervous that you might actually be human. But as a diehard fan I cut you some slack, approximately .2 inches of slack.
But then you got divorced and married Vince Gill. Apparently you forgot you’re a role model Amy, not a human.
Sure, I could see how this approach might help create a Christian culture where we put famous Christians on pedestals. I could see how this might encourage our leaders to never admit small mistakes. I can understand how this might help contribute to prominent Christians lying about the little things for fear of losing my attention until finally those little things stack up and fall over, crushing the leader under the weight of decades of secret sin and stunning his followers who never saw a single crack in an otherwise perfect façade. But I didn’t say being perfect was easy. I just said I expected it.
I got rid of all of your CDs. Don’t worry, I didn’t burn them. I learned my lesson the hard way in high school when I destroyed all of my music after getting really fired up after a retreat. A month later I started buying the same CDs again when the fervor of the retreat wore off. (Again, a fairly dark period of my life that involved repurchasing and throwing away the Bangles, “Walk like an Egyptian” and perhaps even wearing my sunglasses at night, so I can, so I can, see the light that’s right between my eyes.)
Nope, instead of throwing away your music I just put you in my “judging box” in my closet under the stairs. That’s where I keep the things that I might need to keep my eye on for the next few years. If you want to earn your way out of there I suggest a documentary about how you blew it. Maybe an apology concert of some sort and perhaps one more television show where you make the dreams of the less fortunate come true. Only this time, make sure it’s on TBN and not NBC Amy. You’re not going to earn your way out of the judging box with a show on any of the major “netjerks.” (wordplay!)
I glad someone finally talked about this. Okay, someone I actually read. My dad worked in Christian radio at the time of the divorce and his station made the horrifying mistake of asking Amy Grant to headline a concert. You would have thought they'd invited Hitler opening for the Anti-Christ hosting a puppy-kicking festival for all the hateful calls they received.
It made me see that all music sells an image.
Rock: sex & drugs and rockandroll
Country: homeboy done good.
Hiphop: homeboy done good with lots of bling.
And Contemp Christian music sells the image, like you said Jon, of perfect idols. The instant the veneer is cracked we want to throw them to the wolves, because under that alabaster veneer is tasty, tasty meat. It's almost as bad as a rock star getting saved and going to rehab before they hit rock bottom.
If people like her music they shouldn't have stopped listening to it just because they feel she let them down.
I on the other hand don't listen to her because I think that softrock stuff sucks.
Yeah….I don't….
She didn't sin against me so I don't think I have to forgive Amy Grant.
That doesn't mean I have to support her life-style decisions either…
Baby, Baby was written for her daughter…see, "Mosaics, Pieces of My Life so Far", by Amy….and where's the grace? hmmm…according to Psalm 103, "God forgives ALL our iniquities…He does treat us as we deserve…as far as the east is from the west, so far has He REMOVED our SIN from us"…wonder if you're in God's judging box? No, you're not…because He's a forgiver, He does not have a judging box…I suppose if you were God, you'd turn us all into frogs…
sorry…that is supposed to say God does NOT treat us as we deserver!!
are you aware that what he wrote is satire?
As a Christian, I had an affair, divorced my husband and later remarried. God brought me to my knees in repentance and through His awesome grace and mercy, I am free from the condemnation of that sin. I am whole and free and not a second class Christian as some would try to place me. It's not up to them to "place" me anywhere. If God chooses to forgive me, I am clean. Just as King David's gross sin of covetousness, adultery and murder was forgiven of God through a truly repentant heart, so was mine.
King David is still known as a man after God's own heart. It was because of his deep sorrow and repentance that this was so. I felt that since I was a Sunday school teacher at the time, that I should confess before the church and ask for forgiveness. If they weren't willing to forgive me, it didn't matter, because God had forgiven me. I just felt the need to let them know my heart felt sorrow over the sin I had committed. Nowhere in God's word does it tell us we have to forgive ourselves…If we truly repent out of brokenness and sorrow, God forgives and restores to us the joy of His salvation.
We somehow put ourselves in God's place when we try to forgive ourselves…I have to wonder if true repentance is present if we still find a need to forgive ourselves. I have not felt that need. God's forgiveness has brought great peace and true joy. If Amy has faced true brokenness and repentance, I would think that being such a prominent figure in Christian Music, she would have a brokenness and desire to let people know of her repentance and forgiveness by God if not for just the fact that it encourages each of us to know that God is true when He says that if we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgives us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If you have an arrogant puffed up heart thinking you don't owe anyone an apology and keep finding the need to "forgive" yourself, I wonder if there has truly been a brokenness and repentance in your heart.
Amy Grant was and still is a great inspiration to me and I will pass on her music to my 13,8,&2 yr.old. No God does not want us to divorce BUT………….NO matter what if you r not Happy in your marriage and they DID make the effort and went to counseling & etc. PLUS it would be more damaging to their children for them both to be unhappy and I am positive they both PRAYED many times about this and it is not as if GOD did not have a part in their lives and decision as to whether they should proceed in the divorce GOD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS! God took my mom when I was 2yrs old and left my 5 older sisters and i on the market to be adopted and we were given to a fam. that was bad we were raped and molested from teens they took in for foster care and were PAID WELL FOR and knew of the abuse BUT didn't want to let go of the income so right now I am a wonderful mother of 3 that will take care of my kids and be an advocate for those whom are abused and I have learned that i will talk and explain everything to my kids and let them know they NEED to talk to me or their daddy if ANYTHING happens or if any1 tries to do anything like that to them. So when God can handle sitting up in Heaven watching men and women sexually, physically, emotionally, verbally abusing there children. Then watching a divorce of 2 people that tried there best to make it work Anyways it was not a situation that I am sure either 1 of them said well if it doesn't work there is always a way out. Amy Grant I still Love You!
Hi Jon,
I sought of feel guilty because this blog describes how I felt about Amy’s divorce and remarriage and the coming out of Jeniffer Knapp. For so long I never took the words of Jesus seriously that it was a command for us to love.
Great post.
Yes, I realize that this is old stuff but guess what? Amy Grant still needs to apologize to her fans. She really let us down when she glamorized what the Bible says God HATES (divorce and unfaithfulness). Not just, is mildly annoyed by, but HATES. And, until she does apologize, I will never buy or listen to another of her CDs. The only place where forgiveness comes before repentance is in the dictionary. You can mock Christians and the Bible but God will not be mocked. People will reap what they sow.