Hey Friends,
Whether I’m ready or not, and whether I want to or not, I turn 60 on Monday! Pam is celebrating with me that day by taking a trip to Ithaca, NY, to see Cornell University and the surrounding area. Although many of you don’t have Spotify, I wanted to share a playlist called “Greg Austen-Sixty Songs that Saved My Life.” I got the idea from Bono several years ago when he shared his playlist with the same name.
Music has always been a primary connection for me to the transcendent. And, making playlists on Spotify is one of my favorite hobbies. That’s why I love this observation from the Pope:
I encourage you to consider creating your own playlist with a similar name, corresponding the name of it to your age. For example, Bono is five years older than me, and so when someone first shared his list with me, I was 55. So I made a playlist that year called “Greg Austen- 55 Songs that Save My Life,” and each year I have added one song and changed the name. “Songs that saved your life” can mean anything you want it to mean, but it might include songs you listened to over and over, or that got you through a tough time, or are associated with cherished memories, or are just plain beautiful. If you listen to my songs, you’ll see they’re quite a mix. And they’re not just “Christian;” in fact, they’re mostly “secular.” I’m not a big fan of those distinctions these days, as even Christians should be able to appreciate beauty and art outside their own tribe. God is the creator of all; indeed, “in Him we live and move and have our being.”
Two things I can promise you:
- Every song on my playlist was created by a human created in the image of God. And, as image-bearers, every person is both stunningly beautiful and profoundly broken.
- You won’t understand why I included most of the songs I did unless you have a conversation with me. And that is one of the fun things about doing this. Not only do you get to better understand your own journey, but these kinds of lists make great conversation starters or conversation deepeners, as music is a window to our souls.
Have fun with this and, if you do make a playlist, please shoot me a note about your experience. I’d love to hear from you!