Get Right or Get Left

Mar. 31, 2014

by Bob Farrell

Go With Him

My 2nd installment of this blog on Dec. 2, 2013 featured the F&F song “Manifesto” and was sub-titled Say It - the point being that there are things worth standing up for and proclaiming. Things that have to be said whether they’re popular or not. That as a follower of Christ we’re duty-bound to say them - in love.

I have to say I’ve never found Jesus to be very politically correct. He is love personified, but He always told people the truth even when it stung. He talked about hell more than anyone in the New Testament, and He aimed His toughest jabs at the religious crowd, the Pharisees and Sadducees - calling them a “brood of vipers” and “whited sepulchers full of dead men’s bones”.

Ouch.

I’m not very PC either, simply because I find the exercise faux-reality - a fake human attempt to level life’s playing field by dreaming up euphemisms and labels. In the 50s world I grew up in if someone had said ‘sanitation technician’ rather than ‘trash man’ they couldn’t have done it with a straight face. Just sayin’.

One of my fave Christian bands ever was DeGarmo & Key and their songs weren’t very PC either. Eddie DeGarmo and I co-produced CCM’s first techno music with Choices; F&F toured with D&K extensively, shows where Dana Key always stayed true to his convictions and oft times blistered the crowd with his preaching. Dana went home to Jesus in 2010 - I very much miss him and his scorching sermons.

I vividly remember the first day Eddie, Dana, and I wrote together in ‘82, reeling off two very strong tunes; one of D&K’s biggest: “Let the Whole World Sing” - and “Get Right or Get Left”, which appears on Choices.

A little ditty that pretty much answers the quiz question about our PC-ness.

IT SEEMS EVERYTHING IS TURNING TO GREY THESE DAYS 

IT’S SO HARD TO FIND IT BLACK OR WHITE 

WHERE IT USED TO BE A SIMPLE EITHER-OR 

NOW IT’S MUDDLED UP IN COMPROMISE 

True. The world’s aggregate pop culture is built on the precept that anything goes - any activity is fair-ground - that the truly abhorrent is really beautiful if you just give it a chance - that there are no moral absolutes. The lines of demarcation have blurred till they have disappeared. Bald compromise.

BUT JESUS SAID IT - HE LAID IT ON THE LINE 

YOU CAN COME WITH HIM OR YOU CAN STAY BEHIND 

True. Let’s do a Jesus quote here: As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man: two men will be in the field - one will be taken and the other left; two women will be grinding with a hand mill - one will be taken and the other left”.

YOU’VE GOT TO GET RIGHT OR GET LEFT 

IS THE LORD COMING BACK FOR YOU 

YOU’VE GOT TO GET RIGHT OR GET LEFT 

ARE YOU ONE OF HIS CHOSEN FEW 

I’d say that’s pretty black-and-white-either-or.

YOU CAN ARGUE ABOUT IT TIL THE JUDGEMENT DAY 

BUT I’M CONVINCED BY THEN THAT IT’LL BE TOO LATE 

SO, IF YOU PLAN TO GO UP WHEN HE COMES DOWN 

YOU’VE GOT TO GET RIGHT OR GET LEFT 

THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE LOOKIN’ FOR LIFE THESE DAYS 

BUT THEY’RE TRADIN’ IN THE TRUTH FOR LIES 

‘CAUSE THEY’RE NEVER REALLY TRUSTIN’ IN THE MASTER’S WORDS 

‘BOUT THE PROMISE ON THE OTHER SIDE 

BUT JESUS SAID - HE LAID IT ON THE LINE 

MAKE UP YOUR MIND - WE’RE RUNNIN’ OUT OF TIME 

So, you take your chances if you want, but here’s my manifesto (just paraphrasing some more Jesus quotes): He is God - He is The Way, The Truth, and The Life, and no man comes to the Father but through Him - we all die one day and face eternity - and He is coming back.

I’m going with the words of the One who made me and the planet I live on - and He’s still layin’ it on the line: you can go with Him - or you can stay behind. 

My advice? 

Go with Him.






(Music and Lyrics “Get Right or Get Left” by Bob Farrell, Eddie DeGarmo, Dana Key, circa. 1982)