A Story of Rhythm and Grace - What the Church Can Learn from Rock and Roll About Healing the Racial Divide (Paperback)

Mick Jagger, meet Jack Hayford. These are the worlds spanned by musician and pastor Jimi Calhoun, who uses his experiences in both arenas to help readers dissect racial relation issues. Before becoming a pastor, Calhoun played bass for major recording acts and performed on stage with prominent artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Etta James, Hank Williams Jr., John Lennon, and Elton John. He combines colorful illustrations from the rock-and-roll world with stories from his life as a pastor to show how he has succeeded as a bridge builder between cultures. As he interweaves personal stories with reflections on race, Calhoun challenges Christians to reach out for racial healing and reconciliation and offers hope for racial harmony in the church and in the broader culture. EXCERPT I've lived my life in two cities. One city, popular culture, has made racial tolerance as a very high priority in recent times. The other city, the primarily white evangelical community, has emphasized loving God and loving people as a core value and an indication of authentic faith. Therefore my worldview has been shaped by an ethos that says that loving relationships between human beings is not simply an altruistic dream or slogan, but an imperative. Sadly this was not always the case in both "cities," though it seems my skin color caused more disquiet within the evangelical community than in the world of popular culture. . . . That said, my experience as a pastor did also include some very positive experiences and so these words are but a gentle reminder to the church that I love and respect and have devoted my life to serve.