John Lennon. Bob Dylan. Alice Cooper. Johnny Cash.

The aforementioned are all legendary figures when it comes to the history of modern music. And while they each share a vital thread in how the history of rock and roll has been woven together into the fabric of music history, Lennon, Dylan, Cooper, Cash, and many others like them, represent something far greater. They have each climbed to the pinnacle of success only to question the value of their excess once they got there.  Sometimes, the world a bonafide rock star finds when they have clawed their way to the top is one of emptiness, disillusionment, and dashed dreams.

Unfortunately, we have lost many of these musical icons before their time. Think Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Amy Winehouse, and Kurt Cobain.

These icons of music are all complicated people yet brilliantly talented. To quote our guest today, “They all breathe rarified air.” But in their commonality, many found that music could not provide them the peace and contentment they were looking for. Nothing on this earth could satisfy them … except one thing. Their curiosity about Jesus Christ.

Greg Laurie has explored the roots of many of these legendary titans of music and traced their spiritual journeys. Along the way, he found that they were not that unlike a lamb, a coin, or a son, that Jesus so eloquently shared in parables from the New Testament. In each case, when all seemed lost, hope was found.

Greg joins us on the Crossmap Podcast to discuss the link between the gospel music roots of rock and roll and the existential questions many musical artists have struggled to answer. Listen as he shares how these stories of fame, fortune, and emptiness can inspire Christians and the correlation he sees with the Book of Ecclesiastes.

Greg Laurie Links

• Lennon, Dylan, Alice, and Jesus: The Spiritual Biography of Rock and Roll | Amazon
• Harvest Website
• Greg Laurie on Twitter
• Greg Laurie on Facebook

Links to Crossmap

• Crossmap Website
• Crossmap Facebook