20 Mainstream Songs That Accidentally Preach The Gospel

If you pay attention, there seems to be a divide between people’s foundational beliefs in our culture: those who believe in objective truth and objective morality, and those who believe truth and morality are subjective. If you follow these systems of thought to their logical conclusions, the former perspective ultimately leads to a belief that everything matters—the latter, to the belief that nothing matters. While they may not self-profess to be Christian, those who believe that everything matters and that there is objective truth and there is right and wrong are generally in alignment with many Christian teachings. Meanwhile, the perspective that nothing matters, that everything is up to the individual to judge and decide, is inherently nihilistic and anti-Christian. What I find interesting is that even when musicians and artists who might intellectually consider themselves members of the group that believes everything is subjective, sometimes their art tells a different story. While their work is not intentionally following a Christian narrative, there are times when the reality and human experience a given song accurately portrays can tell a Christian story. For me, this art is often more moving than the sort of “Christian” art that reads as propaganda or that’s made only for people who are already believers. This sort of unintentionally Christian art shows a human soul in existential conversation with truth, beauty, and the nature of reality itself. That struggle can be quite moving and even point toward the God that its maker might not believe in themselves. Let’s explore 20 songs that can be read this way, whether the artist intended it or not. You can add them to your own playlist, or listen to the complete collection on Apple Music or Spotify now. 1. “Ballad of Big Nothing” by Elliott “You can do what you want to there's no one to stop you. Now you can do what you want to, whenever you want to… Though it doesn't mean a thing. Big nothing.” In “Ballad of Big Nothing,” Elliott Smith describes what happens when we put our own personal freedom before any beliefs that might put limits on our behavior. Yes, you’ll be able to do whatever you want, and that might feel good for a while. But in the end, it amounts to absolutely nothing: a life that’s almost a death. We can see that same wisdom in Proverbs: "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death." Proverbs 14:12 (NIV) 2. “Graceless” by The National “I figured out how to be faithless, but it would be a shame to waste this. You can't imagine how I hate this. Graceless.” The National’s song “Graceless” speaks to the pain of trying and failing to achieve happiness, greatness, or stability on one’s own or with the assistance of earthly substances. The narrator is unhappily stuck in cycles of sin. However, the song slowly shifts from images of faithlessness and rotten fruit to valuing beauty and fruitfulness, eventually landing on grace itself. This sentiment is reflected in this passage from Romans: "For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing." Romans 7:19 (NIV) 3. “invisible string” by Taylor Swift “Time, mystical time, cutting me open then healing me fine. Were there clues I didn’t see? And isn’t it just so pretty to think all along there was some invisible string tying you to me?” In "invisible string,” Taylor Swift notices how everything seems to happen for a reason. Whether it’s heartbreak and pain, mistakes, or finding love in a dive bar, we can trace the events that led us to where we are and notice how even the hard times can bring us somewhere good. It’s almost as if she is noticing what Paul describes in Romans: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 (ESV) 4. “This Time Around” by Jessica Pratt “I don't wanna find that I've been marching under the crueler side of the fight. It makes me want to cry.” “This Time Around” finds Jessica Pratt reflecting on the weight of the passage of time. Many things can change without our permission, even our understanding of what we’ve stood for throughout our lives. The singer aches to be assured that her heart is set on the right things, that her choices have been upholding what is good rather than lending power to anything evil. These thoughts are echoed in the psalmist’s words: "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:23–24 (NIV) 5. “I Don’t Know What I Can Save You From” by Kings of Convenience “I tried so hard to follow but didn't catch the half of what had gone wrong. Said, ‘I don't know what I can save you from.’” This Kings of Convenience song tells the story of someone doing their best to help a friend in need, while also realizing that the help they can offer is ultimately limited. While Christians are called to love and to help one another, only God has the ability to actually save anyone. This concept is apparent in Psalm 146: "Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save." Psalm 146:3 (NIV) 6. “everything i wanted” by Billie Eilish “I had a dream. I got everything I wanted. Not what you’d think, and if I’m being honest, it might have been a nightmare to anyone who might care.” “everything i wanted” places the emptiness we can feel even when we have all of the material possessions and acclaim we could dream of in direct contrast with the fullness that a true, unconditional love can give us. Billie Eilish realizes that actually getting everything she desires would end up being a living hell, and instead tries to focus on the calming presence of love in her life. This is paralleled in the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus contrasts seeking worldly things with seeking the kingdom of heaven: “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” Matthew 16:26 (NIV) 7. “Hope” by Arlo Parks “You’re not alone like you think you are. You’re not alone like you think you are. We all have scars, I know it’s hard. You're not alone, you’re not alone.” This song by Arlo Parks is about getting vulnerable with our imperfections. While we all make mistakes and fall short of the ideal, we often feel alone in our suffering and afraid to share it with others. “Hope” reminds us that we aren’t all that different from one another, and that we don’t have to feel alone when we’re struggling. Psalm 34 reminds us of the same thing: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18 (NIV) 8. “Just” by Radiohead “You do it to yourself, you do, and that's why it really hurts. Is that you do it to yourself, just you. You and no one else.” In “Just,” Radiohead explores the gravity of our decisions. Because we have free will, the consequence of our choice to do either right or wrong leads us to a fate that either feels like heaven or feels like hell. Setting aside random human suffering, the suffering we can feel from our own purposeful errors is uniquely painful because we know we bring it upon ourselves. Galatians speaks about this same idea: “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption...” Galatians 6:7–8 (ESV) 9. “Close to Me” by The Cure “I've waited hours for this. I've made myself so sick. I wish I'd stayed asleep today. I never thought this day would end. I never thought tonight could ever be this close to me.” This song by The Cure paints a vivid, relatable portrait of human anxiety. Caught between what you want and what you fear, the nearness of something or someone we desire makes us aware of our vulnerability and imperfection. The narrator almost would prefer to hide, much like Adam in Genesis: “He answered, ‘I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.’” Genesis 3:10 (NIV) 10. “Yosemite” by Lana Del Rey “Seasons may change but we won’t change. Isn’t it sweet how we know that already? Winter to spring, spring back to fall. Isn’t it cool how nothing here changes at all? You make me feel I’m invincible just like I wanted.” “Yosemite” by Lana Del Rey describes an enduring love that’s as joyful as it is unchanging. Even when friends or peers may be finding love for less admirable reasons, the narrator of “Yosemite” shares a pure love based on higher values. This is the sort of love that God has for us, as he proclaims to the Israelites in Isaiah: “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed.” Isaiah 54:10 (NIV) 11. “All The Love” by Ayra Starr “Life can be rough, can be smooth. And not every fact is the truth. Advancing, I’ve laid down my burdens. Can’t seem to silence the voices. But one thing is certain: I’ll be that person. Wey go be your shoulder buddy, bestie, anything.” The message of “All The Love” is that no matter the challenges we face, love can help us let go of our burdens. Ayra Starr sings about the sort of love that guides us to the truth while easing the tension of life’s everyday realities. We can see the same offer of love from Christ in the Gospel of Matthew: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV) 12. “Windows” by Angel Olsen “Are you dead already? Are you alive? Are you alive? Won't you open a window sometime? Won't you open a window sometime? What's so wrong with the light?” In “Windows,” Angel Olsen describes someone so closed off to life that they seem almost as if they're dead already. They refuse to let in the light, maybe because it means they’ll have to confront their own “shadow” on the ground, as well as everything else the light illuminates. Like the narrator in “Windows,” Ephesians begs us to do otherwise: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Ephesians 5:14 (NIV) 13. “Unconditionally” by Katy Perry “Come just as you are to me. Don't need apologies. Know that you are worthy. I'll take your bad days with your good, walk through the storm, I would. I do it all because I love you. I love you.” “Unconditionally” finds Katy Perry offering a truly unconditional love. She’s not only loving despite imperfections and insecurities, she is willing, even in the face of shortcomings on behalf of her beloved, to do anything for the one she loves. This is exactly the sort of love Jesus encourages us to have for one another, like when he says in the Gospel of John: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13 (NIV) 14. “This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)” by Talking Heads “Home is where I want to be, but I guess I'm already there. I come home. She lifted up her wings. I guess that this must be the place.” In this catchy, timeless song, Talking Heads touches on the kind of love and wonder that make us feel at home wherever we are. With this sort of connection, it can be hard to tell whether the lover or the beloved found the other first. John the Apostle reflects on this phenomenon in its deepest form, in the love of God that abides in believers, which in turn makes them always at home in God wherever they might be: “If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” 1 John 4:15–16 (NIV) 15. “Love Again” by Dua Lipa “Show me that heaven's right here, baby. Touch me so I know I'm not crazy. Never have I ever met somebody like you. Used to be afraid of love and what it might do.” “Love Again” tells the story of someone who was hurt by imperfect love in the past who is surprised to have found a new and genuine love. Dua Lipa’s lyrics could almost be about God’s love as she sings about the intensely renewing nature of the sort of love that casts out fear and gives new life. The Gospel of Luke records how this kind of love brings the kingdom of heaven to earth: “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘here it is,’ or ‘there it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.” Luke 17:20-21 (NIV) 16. “All is Full of Love” by Bjork “You'll be given love. You'll be taken care of. You'll be given love. You have to trust it. Maybe not from the sources you have poured yours. Maybe not from the directions you are staring at. Twist your head around. It's all around you. All is full of love. All around you.” Bjork’s song “All is Full of Love” describes a situation where someone has been giving their love to things or people who cannot or will not return it. The narrator encourages them to move on and instead see the love that is already all around them. The Bible often advises us to examine where we are placing our love and adoration, whether on the things in life that cannot reciprocate, or on the God who is Love and who is always with us: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there... your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” Psalm 139:7–10 (NIV) 17. “Changes” by David Bowie “Ch-ch-changes (Turn and face the strain), ch-ch-changes (Just gonna have to be a different man). Time may change me, but I can't trace time.” In “Changes,” David Bowie reflects on the fleeting nature of material accomplishment and the ever-changing yet somehow stagnant nature of reality. He watches the days go by, and even though there are differences and changes, the days somehow still feel the same. When he suggests that time changes him, but that he still cannot trace time, he’s hitting on the mystery of an eternal, infinite God viewed from temporal, finite eyes: “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV) 18. “Hold On” by Justin Bieber “We all know I should be the one to say we all make mistakes. Tell me everything that you need to say. 'Cause I know how it feels to be someone, feels to be someone who loses their way.” In “Hold On,” Justin Bieber humbly offers friendship and love to someone who is feeling less than perfect. Because of his own past mistakes and transgressions, he’s even more able to offer a listening ear and a helping hand to someone who’s currently struggling and lost. This gesture follows the advice we find in Colossians: “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:13 (NIV) 19. “Free in the Knowledge” by The Smile “And this was just a bad moment. We were fumblin' around. But we won't get caught like that with soldiers on our backs. We won't get caught like that.” This song by The Smile reflects on the fact that everything as we know it will someday end. “Free in the Knowledge” explores the human desire to be able to face that end with a clean conscience. Toward the end of the song, the narrator has a confrontation with himself in the mirror that highlights our inability to transcend our fallen nature on our own. Isaiah confirms that the redemption we seek won’t come from us: “I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.” Isaiah 44:22 (NIV) 20. “By Your Side” by Sade “When you're on the outside, baby, and you can't get in, I will show you, you're so much better than you know. When you're lost, and you're alone, and you can't get back again, I will find you, darling, and I will bring you.” Although “By Your Side” is most likely a love song about another person, the sort of love that Sade describes mirrors the love that God has for us. While many love songs focus on the pleasure, whether physical or emotional, that our beloved brings us, or the pain that they cause us when they disappoint us, this song emphasizes the unconditional and sacrificial nature of the narrator’s love. You can see that same love in Jeremiah: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” Jeremiah 31:3 (NIV) While it’s likely that most, if not all, of these songs weren’t written to promote a Christian message, it is interesting to see how some of their work echoes Christian teachings. One thing that this exposes is the fact that, secular or not, we live in a culture born out of Judeo-Christian values. These ancient values have shaped our civilization in ways that carry into even the most atheistic or agnostic contemporary art, where even the attempt to move away from God is still in conversation with Him. Even more than this, I believe that artists have a unique connection to their Creator, whether they are aware of it or not. Artists’ innate creative ability is a gift that reflects the nature of God himself. With this gift, even when artists are not consciously acknowledging God in their work, they are deeply tuned in to the beauty, truth, and human nature that He created.