This is a fascinating little tidbit from Christianity Today‘s interview with Paul Simon.
[Paul Simon] decided he wanted to meet Stott, and a friend helped connect them. Simon called the theologian and offered to take him out for dinner. He said Stott told him he didn’t go out much anymore and instead invited the musician to his flat for tea and biscuits.
“I’d say we spent two or three hours there,” Simon recalled. “I talked about everything that was on my mind about things that seemed illogical, and he talked about why he had come to his conclusions.”
Simon was very impressed by Stott. “I liked him immensely,” he told me. “I left there feeling that I had a greater understanding of where belief comes from when it doesn’t have an agenda.”
“It didn’t change my way of thinking,” he added, “but what I liked about it was that we were able to talk and have a dialogue.”
Simon said the conversation was meaningful to him because he was “disheartened” by so much divisive rhetoric in American culture, particularly when it comes to religion.
“I was interested in speaking to the John Stotts of the world and other evangelicals because my instinct was that the animosity is not as deep as being depicted in the media, and anecdotally speaking, I have found that that’s the truth,” he said.
Read the rest here.
8 Comments
yankeegospelgirl
Oh piffle. As if “being divisive” is some sort of deep, dark evil in and of itself. I say let’s be divisive, and if Paul Simon doesn’t like it.. well, we didn’t ask his opinion, did we?
Scott
I think the other Paul may disagree with you!
Paul
It all depends on HOW you’re divisive. Having disagreements with people and being willing to stand firm on those disagreements is one thing, and a laudable thing.
Dismissing others out of hand for their stances, provided they’re sane anyway, reeks of the same odor as my son’s soiled diapers.
Let’s remember one thing here: if he wants to have the conversation, that’s at least a step or two in the right direction. Calling him piffle in such regards is to call anyone that’s inquiring about Christianity piffle. I can’t say I’d agree.
Andy
I agree Paul. Well said.
donsands
Excellent article. I love Paul Simon’s music. Great artist. I wish i could have spent three hours with John Stott! Man. I pray our Lord will bring Paul to faith, and so quicken his dead spirit, as He did mine. Amen.
Christiane
The title of the article about Paul Simon was:
“Paul Simon: ‘God Comes Up a Lot in My Songs’ ”
I don’t know if too many people these days remember the hey-day of Simon & Garfunkel in the late Sixties and Seventies. Likely not. But it was said that their music was reflective of the feelings of many during those ‘interesting times’ and they were considered the bards and poets of that generation.
Here is one song written by Paul Simon that still works for our own ‘interesting times’ today . . .
yankeegospelgirl
Oooooh, Garfunkel was cute. π
donsands
Thanks sister for that song. Very nice indeed. Paul & Art were such fine and unique artists.