This past weekend, I was able to see one of my favorite songwriters preform live. For those of you that are concert-going types, you understand the feeling of hearing your favorite songs being played right in front of you. You've felt the energy of artist and crowd interacting. Well, I had that experience with Noah Gunderson.

I grew up listening to Christian music, almost exclusively. If I had heard Gunderson's music when I was 13, I probably wouldn't love it as much as I do now. You see, many of his lyrics are very agnostic - not just in the sense of religious belief, but as a perception on life in general. He sings about death, loss, meaning, failed relationships, and the like. I get a snarky-yet-genuine vibe from most of his songs.

However, there's so much more to Noah Gunderson than depressing lyrics and thoughtful disbelief. He's passionate about art. Religion and art have a long and complex history. Some traditions feel that all art is best used to reflect the values of that tradition. Others take the "all truth is God's truth" route and celebrate all forms of art. Others fall somewhere in between.

The faith traditions I've been around (evangelical Christians, mostly) seem very cautious of art - especially art that feels like Noah Gunderson's music. It can be critical of Christianity or of tradition. It can promote things that we consider "immoral." It may even be downright crude. Does that mean we should stay away?

I don't have the authority to answer that question for you - but I can tell you stories. I can tell you about the time I first heard Noah Gunderson's song "Jesus, Jesus" and almost broke down in tears. I can tell you about the concert I just went to, and how people caught glimpses of hope and truth in his songs. Maybe God shows up best in the places we aren't looking.

Now, this isn't a promotion piece for Noah Gunderson. I'd suspect we have different philosophies on a lot of things. I hope I am respecting him and doing his work justice in saying that it teaches me something about God. His honesty and willingness to express doubt give me comfort. His commitment to do what it is he loves doing gives me confidence. Even his critique of some things I might believe teaches me compassion.

When thinking about art (whether it's visual, music, dance, etc), look for God in unexpected places. That doesn't mean insert a hidden message or value that isn't there. It just means appreciating genuine expression in whatever form it takes. The world could use a lot more of that.

Here are some of my favorite Noah Gunderson songs if you want to check him out: