Ali was born into household of struggles. As Muslims, there was an inbred culture of fighting. Fighting for the faith. Fighting the infidels. Fighting wayward sects of Islam. The struggles did not end there. It was a polygamous household. Two wives and eleven children. It fostered an atmosphere of contention, hostility and aggressive competition. And so they even fought one another. Literally. Ali was sent to juvenile prison by the age of 12.
Ali was determined to never return to the familial battle scene. Upon release at the age of 16, Ali set out on his own. He ended up in the massive urban slums of Nairobi. The slums are full of people trying to make a fresh start. Most end up in worse conditions than the ones left behind. The slums are not pastoral settings of placid poverty. The violent crime, extortions, corruption and deprivation go deep and wide. To survive, you must be a fighter… in every negative sense of the word. It seemed Ali’s past would also be his future.
Ali immediately joined the local mosque. Mosques are the most captivating structures in the slums. Massive white stone buildings with bright neon backlit towers. Free water, free education, pristine premises and serious security. These are all to be found at the Islamic centers. Enormous sound systems call the slum communities to prayer five times per day. The visuals, the sounds, the enticements all pander to the innate material, physical and practical desires of humanity. Islam does very well in the slums.
As a faithful follower, Ali earnestly followed the prescribed practices: declaring his faith, prayers, fasting, giving, etc. There was one additional practice which sets a serious Muslim apart: engaging in “Sharia”. Manifest by fighting with, or at least arguing for, the “Law” of his god every day. And it was this that set Ali apart from others. His Sharia record was unmatched. He was a fighter…and proud of it.
A seismic shift began under the most unusual circumstances. Soon after securing a shack to rent, Ali awoke one morning to Music. It was his neighbor in the adjoining shack. The Music was unlike anything he had ever heard. It captivated him. He went to inquire. He found a man playing an electric keyboard attached to a car battery. Ali was mesmerized.
“Can you teach me to play that?!”
The man responded, “If you want me to teach you, come to the church.” Ali’s desire was so great, he did just that. He met his neighbor at the church nearly every day….and learned hymns and gospel Music day after day.
Seeds were being sown in the most unlikely of soils.
Whenever Ali was immersed in the Music, something radically changed in him. The angst left. The aggression. The turmoil. As if a bad spirit left…and a peaceful One came. King Saul experienced the same…
“And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from Saul.”
The power of Music stretches beyond the audible, the physical and the emotional.
It reaches into the Spiritual.
Regardless of whether we understand, acknowledge or appreciate that fact. Even King Saul, in all his torment, turmoil and rebellion, realized as much. All to often we relegate Music to the Entertainment bin, without realizing the impact it has deep inside our very soul and spirit. This can be for good…or for bad. By the Spirit of God…or another spirit. By invitation…or by imposition. Ali became an unwitting recipient of the Gospel message…by the hand of a Christian musician.
All to often, we are exposed to the “other” side of Music. The satanic, the derogatory, the depraved, the demeaning rhymes and rhythms of the “ruler of this world”. That should not discourage us. It should rather inform us. If Satan uses Music as a powerful Spiritual weapon in his arsenal, why not use it in ours…for God’s purposes? Afterall, God invented Music, and created the auditory sense. Satan has merely co-opted and corrupted both. It’s time we reclaim both for God’s glory.
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
We often think of prayer, evangelism and preaching as the front lines of battling in the Spiritual realm. Music is often viewed as an additive at best. An optional enjoyment. But Satan knows better. There is much to accomplished in the Spiritual economy through Music. For good or for bad. In our own generation, many ministries, churches and people have been spiritually shipwrecked through wayward “Christian” Music. But there remains great power and potential for God’s purposes through sanctified Music and worship. We must endeavor to know the difference…and hold the line firm and fast. There’s too much at stake to be merely Entertained…or Enticed onto the wrong side. Our Sacrifice of Praise, through Music and lyrics, must be tested against the standard of God’s Word. It should mimic David…not demons..
“…the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. …brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant…”
“ ‘But now bring me a Musician.’ Then it happened, when the Musician played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him.”