Mockingbird

Derek Webb's newest CD, Mockingbird, will never be mistaken for Easy Listening. The music, which has been likened to that of the Beatles, is pleasant enough, but the words can make you squirm. And rightly so. Webb continually challenges our social complacency. The opening lines of "A King and a Kingdom" come to mind:

who's your brother, who's your sister
you just walked passed him
i think you missed her

My favorite, however, is "A New Law." Like an earlier Webb song, "T Shirts," it addresses the laziness with which the church often engages culture. Webb recognizes that there is a certain security in the hard lines we tend to draw. Calling us to a practice of life with God that is shaped by the Spirit and characterized by grace, he urges, "Do not be afraid."

don't teach me about politics and government
just tell me who to vote for

don't teach me about truth and beauty
just label my music

don't teach me how to live like a free man
just give me a new law

i don't wanna know if the answers aren't easy
so just bring it down from the mountain to me

i want a new law
i want a new law
gimme that new law

don't teach me about moderation and liberty
i prefer a shot of grape juice

don't teach me about loving my enemies

don't teach me how to listen to the Spirit
just give me a new law

i don't wanna know if the answers aren't easy
so just bring it down from the mountain to me

i want a new law
i want a new law
gimme that new law

what's the use in trading a law you can never keep
for one you can that cannot get you anything
do not be afraid
do not be afraid
do not be afraid