I grew up in the church and loved learning about Jesus and reading Bible stories. However, when my parents started listening to Christian music on the radio when I was in third grade, I hated it. I had just started at a new school, and I would much rather listen to the popular songs that all my new friends listened to. That all changed at an Avalon concert in the spring of 1998 when I first heard "Testify to Love". Something about that song spoke to me in a way that nothing else had, and listening to it prompted me to fully give my life to Christ. From then on, I immersed myself in listening to Christian music and growing deeper in my newfound faith.
In May, a trio of artists, two of whom are former members of Avalon, re-released "Testify to Love". Now as a huge fan of the song, you'd think I'd be thrilled. The problem is that it was released as an LGBTQ+ affirming anthem. Now, as I mentioned in an earlier post, I have my doubts about the sinfulness of modern homosexuality, but even if I were fully committed to affirming each and every letter they stick on that stupid acronym, I would believe this was a bad move. The song has always been and will always be about the love that God has for us, and the remake cheapens that immensely. If they wanted a Christian LGBTQ+ affirming anthem, then they should have written their own song rather than poisoning one that's been around for decades.
For the most part, the lyrics are the same, but there are subtle changes. The most obvious ones are in what phrases get repeated in the bridge and during the last chorus. Both the phrases "Dream that reaches out where love begins" and "Word of every story, star in every sky, corner of creation testify" are sung twice in the original and only once in the remake. The same goes for "Testify Your way, testify Your truth, testify Your life, Your love and mercy", but for this one, the repetition is not the only difference. The original places this phrase after the last repeat of the chorus, with part of the chorus as background vocals. The remake has this as the background vocals during the last repeat of the chorus, and it's sung so softly I didn't hear it the first time I listened. Not only that, but in the music video, Melissa Greene is pointing at the guys while singing these lines, which changes the meaning from a reference to John 14:6 to a reference to the oft-quoted LGBTQ+ motto of "speaking your truth".
In conclusion, Ty Herndon, Melissa Greene, and Michael Passons took a beautiful anthem about the love God has for us and made it into something it was never meant to be. Now, could this new version still bring people to Christ like the original brought me to Him almost 30 years ago? It's possible, but it's also possible that watering down the message of the song to fit their narrative will lead people into a false version of salvation. Worse than not being saved at all is thinking you are only to reach the end of your life and hear Jesus say, "I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers." (Matthew 7:23)
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