The Unfortunate

I emerged from a troubled past, a dysfunctional home, yet I still had a happy heart. An old, beat up folk guitar provided a new interest, somebody had given it to me. I knew nothing of playing the guitar, but I quickly found out that it needed to be tuned and I needed guitar chords. A few friendly souls sketched out some basic chords for me on scraps of paper and demonstrated how to play them. I remember thinking back those many years ago, "That's not so hard, I think I can do that."

I needed a song to play, I would have to learn it by repetition. This was achieved by checking an album out of the library. Having no money because I was only 14 and had no job, I did have a library card so I checked out a Bob Dylan record. I read the Bible daily and that along with the lyrics of one of his songs would develop my first musical objective. The song was "There But For Fortune". That song and the Word of God began to form in me a deep sense of empathy for the unfortunate.

Over the next few years, I checked out several Dylan albums and acquainted myself with songs that I liked and were innocuous to my teenage years. I would sing his lyrics as I walked around town, and the images were very meaningful in fact; they helped me memorize the words. My mother was not against his music or me listening to it, as they formed no rebellious attitude in me. There was nothing to be on guard of. There was no violence in his music, no sex or drugs. There was, however, the rich tapestry of human life and its struggles, which I found very kindred to my own life. It provided a glimpse into the lives of others around me and so I walked with the narrative of the Bible and Bob Dylan lyrics, side-by-side, straight into adulthood.

In 2020 I wanted to listen to some of his more recent music and I came upon the album Modern Times. I was filled with great delight as I listened to it because I could clearly hear a very spiritual undertone and God all the way through it. It was very spiritual.

This month I came upon a phenomenal reality...Bob Dylan is a confessing, born-again believer and has been sharing his convictions since 1979 when he came to Christ as his Savior. I knew he had received Christ in 1979, but had heard that he had walked away from his faith. In actuality, he never did. Today, when he has a concert, he shares his beliefs in both word and singing Gospel songs, including old hymns such as "Rock of Ages" and "Pass Me Not". Check out this book, Bob Dylan: A Spiritual Life by Scott M. Marshall.

"Never before has a book like this one delved into the spiritual odyssey of cultural icon Bob Dylan. Tracking an American original--from his Jewish roots to his controversial embrace of Jesus to his enduring legacy as the composer of the Tempest album--Bob Dylan: A Spiritual Life delivers the story of a man in dogged pursuit of redemption. Based on years of research and original interviews, this book sorts through the myths and misunderstandings and reveals Dylan to be both traditional and radical in the way he expresses his spiritual quest for purpose and meaning."