The Swinging Bridge

Issue date: 10/1/08 Section: News

Chuck Klosterman once complained about the ubiquity of musicians getting involved in philanthropic causes, because criticizing the bands then just makes you look like a bad person. He mused that disliking U2 would basically come across as saying that poverty was a good thing.

In a world where filmmakers regularly visit Darfur and most musicians have aligned themselves with some sort of political cause, it's hard not to get overwhelmed with all of the social issues we should be aware of-or not to get tired of famous people telling us what to think. Similarly overwhelming is grappling with the responsibility that comes along with heightened awareness.

SAB is bringing The Art Music Justice Tour to Messiah College on Saturday, October 4, featuring five musicians: Sara Groves, Derek Webb, Brandon Heath, Sandra McCracken, and Charlie Peacock. All of the proceeds from the tour are benefitting International Justice Mission and Food for the Hungry, non-profit groups which seek to help the impoverished, free slaves, and rescue the women and children who have been victimized by sex trafficking.

In addition to music, the artists will be speaking about different social justice issues, particularly sex trafficking. Sara Groves, the tour's headliner, developed a passion for raising awareness about this issue while on a trip to Washington, D.C. There she met a girl named Elisabeth from Southeastern Asia who had been kidnapped and sold to a brothel owner. The girl's narrative brought a human side to an issue Groves had only heard about at a global level.

The tour's various musicians all share the common goal of trying to live "the integrated Christian life" and helping others to work toward this as well. They hope that audiences will be impacted by hearing the personal stories of those directly affected by broader social justice issues and by learning about practical ways to bring about results.

Clear your schedule this Saturday at 8 PM. Instead of just hearing some nice music, this is a chance to learn about actively integrating Christian faith with art and participation in social justice issues around the globe.

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