Deena, can you play this song on your guitar?
A good song is impactful and can even change your mood. I enjoy listening to an upbeat rock and roll song. But as a Christian I’ve had this major dilemma almost all my life. That is, there are only a tiny amount of rock and roll songs that honor God. Most of them are about what the world considers “love” between two people. I guess there is hardly any room for honoring God when as the music maker, most party, take drugs, overindulge in drinking and promiscuity.
I have found one song. It’s by the Byrds and is taken from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. The Bible passage was written by King Solomon, a man to whom God blessed with an incredible amount of wisdom over two thousand years ago. Please read the amazing passage about how young Solomon got his wisdom, I Kings 3:5-15, 2 Chronicles 1:7-12! (Dare I, as a mother, pray that my children have such astounding wisdom?) I love to read that because Solomon was humbly asking for God’s help. And God overwhelmingly came to his assistance.
Uh, oh yeah, back to the Byrd’s song:
Chorus: To everything (Turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (Turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose under Heaven

A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep
Chorus
A time to build up, a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones,
A time to gather stones together
Chorus
A time of war, a time of peace
A time to love, a time to hate
A time you may embrace,
A time to refrain from embracing
Chorus
A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sow
A time for love, a time for hate
A time for peace, I swear it’s not too late.
This was written by Pete Seeger, an influential folk singer and activist. He recorded it before The Byrds covered it as a follow-up to their second #1 hit after “Mr. Tambourine Man.” The song hit the charts in 1965.* Now compare the song to the actual Bible passage:
To every thing there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
a time of war, and a time of peace.
*Taken from website Songfacts.com