Paul Simon and Chris Rice on God

The Simon-Rice project is an attempt to look at the lives and art of two thoughtful musicians, who are extremely similar stylistically, in order to see how their very different worldviews affect them and their art form. Last time, we saw how Paul Simon approaches the idea of significance in life. In his view, as it seems, meaning and purpose in life is existential and tied up to being loved and loving others. Similarly Chris Rice sees significance in life as being loved, but not merely by other people, rather by God. The common thread is LOVE.

Now we will look at a few lyrics from both men that relate to their search for an understanding about God. What is their theology? Noticeably, Chris Rice is much more overt in his views, since he is a professing believer in Jesus Christ. Still we see his broader understanding of God in songs like “Big Enough.”

God if You’re there I wish You’d show me
And God if You care then I need You to know me
I hope You don’t mind me askin’ the questions
But I figure You’re big enough
I figure You’re big enough

Chris Rice clearly sees that much is mystery when it comes to God. As a songwriter who apparently has teenagers in mind as he writes, he too grapples with the questions about who God is, how did He get there, why did He create anything at all, and so on. Rice also understands that his belief in Christ brings persecution.

Am I the fool, am I just a fool?
For standing alone while they mock Your name
"Well if your God is so good, tell us why all the pain?"
I’m not sure, not so sure that God is to blame
So don’t be a fool, please don’t be a fool
‘Cause blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe

Rice freely admits that he has not seen grandiose visions of God - nobody has written “Trust Jesus” in the clouds (see his song “Smell the Color 9”), but nonetheless he keeps believing, because God has spoken through His trustworthy Word.

I hear that a God who’s good would never let the evil run so long
But I say it’s because You’re good You’re giving us more time, yeah
‘Cause I believe that You love to show us mercy
But when will You step into our sky blue
And say "That’s quite enough, and your time is up!"

Rice does not seem to have a problem reconciling the existence of God and the existence of evil. In this verse he shows that God has much in mind that we cannot see, thus He is “giving us more time.” Rice reveals a bit of his view on eschatology here as well. He believes that Christ will return and step into our blue sky on a future day.

So when my heart is beaten by the standard of the law
I just remember Jesus, and I’ve found my favor with God

From where I standYour holiness is up so high I can never reach it
My only hope is to fall on Jesus

Here are two lyrics that give us a taste of Rice’s understanding of salvation. In both songs, Jesus Christ is seen as the way to God. Now having seen a bit of Rice’s view of God, lets change gears and check out Mr. Simon.

In my little town
I grew up believing
God keeps His eye on us all
And He used to lean upon me
As I pledged allegiance to the wall
Lord I recall
My little town

As I mentioned in the previous blog, this song does not necessarily reflect Paul’s belief since it is obviously not autobiographical. But still the song might reveal his underlying worldview, at least in part. If it does, this song is saying that the belief that God “keeps His eye on us all” is something that is old – that is, it is part of the stifling little town where the main character grew up. He leaves that town behind and says nothing but the dead and dying are there.

We celebrate the birth of Jesus on Christmas day
And Buddah found Nirvana along the Lotus Way
About 1,500 years ago the messenger Mohammed spoke
And his wisdome like a river flowed
Through hills of gold
Wisdome is old
The Koran is old
The Bible's old
Greatest story ever told
The human race walked the Earth for 2.7 million
And we estimate the universe about 13-14 billion
When all these numbers tumble into your imagination
Consider that the Lord was there before creation
God is old
We're not old
God is old
He made the mold

In this catchy tune about aging, Paul admits that compared to God, the oldest among us are comparatively young. Is this verse a sort of tongue-in-cheek mockery of science and religion or is it possible that Simon is reflecting on the necessity of some eternal being? Or both? Or something totally different than both? Now we do know that Simon has had at least a vague interest in the Bible. In an interview he once said the following about writing the song, “The boxer.”

“All I can remember is a time on a plane. I had taken a bible from one of the hotels and I was skimming through the bible and I think I saw the phrase ‘work- man's wages.’ That's all I remember from that song.”

God only knows
God makes his plan
The information's unavailable
To the mortal man
We work our jobs
Collect our pay
Believe we're gliding down the highway
When in fact we're slip slidin' away

In this final verse of Slip Slidin’ Away, Paul speaks about the plan of God verses the mundane activity of human beings. It appears in this verse that God is disinterested, to say the least, in what the humans are doing.

Anger and no one can heal it
Slides through the metal detector
Lives like a mole in a motel
A slide in a slide projector
The cool, cool river
Sweeps the wild, white ocean
The rage of love turns inward
To prayers of devotion
And these prayers are
The constant road across the wilderness
These prayers are
These prayers are the memory of God
The memory of God

In this tune, Simon speaks of the “memory of God.” I’m not really sure what he means, but Simon, I believe, would think that’s okay. In this same interview he spoke about the meaning of his songs.

“And I think direction is sufficient. When you have a strong sense of direction, then meaning clings to it in some way. People bring meaning to it. Which is more interesting to me than for me to tell meaning to some- body. I'd rather offer options to people. Options that have very pleasing sounds.”

I have a wisdom tooth
Inside my crowed face
I have a friend who is born again
Found his savior's grace
I was born before my father
And my children before me
We are born and born again
Like the waves in the sea
That's the way it's always been
And that's how I want it to be

Paul Simon is Jewish by birth and does not speak much about his particular views on Judaism specifically (is it just cultural?) nor on God specifically. But the last part of this verse, if it is Simon’s true perspective, seems to have a strong reincarnation idea in it. “Born and born again like the waves in the sea?” If this is the case, perhaps Paul is more in line with the Kabbalah branch of Judaism made popular recently by Madonna. Kabbalah seems to be a mixture of historic Judaism with New Age beliefs and ideas.

CONCLUSION
How a person understands the existence and the person of God will no doubt affect the way they live their life. If a person, for example, is a true atheist, then the only moral guidelines for living he has is the one he makes up or the one he accepts from his culture. In Chris Rice’s view, on the other hand, God is real and He is close. Thus, Rice attempts to live knowing this is true. Paul Simon is apparently a theist of some kind, though it is hard to say which kind. His Judaism, if it is more than mere cultural apparel, would mark him as a monotheist. However, if he has mixed his Judaism with New Age, Eastern Mystical beliefs, he might view God more as the universe itself.

Until next time!