Third Day
Wire
Essential Records
51:51 TRT

If a Christian band releases a full-length CD and never once mentions Jesus or God in the lyrics, is it a Christian record? "Wire," the seventh CD from Third Day, may be the group's most talked about, if not controversial, record to date. The group makes a subtle, yet I think significant change in direction.

Musically this is a great record. Some songs, such as "I Believe" and "I Got a Feeling," are in tune with the band's Southern rock roots. Vocalist Mac Powell, and his unique bass vocals, has never sounded better. However, it's in the group's lyrics, its message, where a change in direction is most evident.

In the publicity materials for "Wire," Powell says, "This album is a lot more personal than anything we've done. Yet also it's universal enough in a sense that it's going to reach out to different people in many ways."

Let me begin by saying that Christians should be thankful that Third Day wants to use its gift of music to reach out to the unchurched (see Matthew 9:37-38). However, in its attempt to become more universal, Third Day avoids the universal truth of His Word and instead becomes merely generic.

All of the lyrics for "Wire" can be found on the band's web site. Check them out for yourself. "I Believe" says, "I know it's you who put this light inside of me." You who? C'mon, guess. Would a non-Christian know? I doubt it (maybe it's a girlfriend? A pet?). The song hardly reflects Paul's sentiments found in Ephesians 6:19. "I Got a Feeling," "You Are Mine," and "Innocent" are more spiritually generic, Jesus-less songs.

Even worse there are at least three songs that revolve around a being a star or are centered on self: "Rock Star," "Billy Brown" and "Wire." "Billy Brown" is just flat out lame and would stink up any record, Christian or secular. Our Daily Bread devotions writer J. David Branon notes that, "When we look up and focus on God, something good happens. We get our eyes off of ourselves and gain a new appreciation of Him"

Its difficult to get that new appreciation with "Wire" because at best, the "universal" approach on "Wire" becomes an exercise in "say no Jesus/see no Jesus."

Third Day can, and has, done much much better. Psalm 150 is a good place to start over and rethink this approach.

- Rob S.