Some people are fans of a band, while others, when they say they like the band, know only its greatest hits, the songs that make it onto the radio and onto compilation CDs. Those who say they like all of a band’s songs, like those who claim that the Bible is inerrant in every detail, only know the songs/passages that made the top 40 countdown.
There are lots of ways of being a “true Genesis fan” (the band, not the book). You may prefer the Peter Gabriel era, or at least view it as most authentic. You may like the Phil Collins era too but think that the attempt to do without him “doesn’t count”. If you are a true fan, it probably means loving the band’s music in spite of rather than because of the track “Who Dunnit?” on the album Abacab.
I think that I can say that I’m a true fan of the Bible. I like some parts better than others, and there are “tracks” on some “albums” that I don’t particularly like at all. But I appreciate on the whole the achievement of its authors and their contribution to the history of religion.
Which is better? The unswerving fan of a band’s greatest hits, or a broad appreciation that knows all of a band’s songs? Which represents a truer appreciation of the Bible? The unswerving allegiance to a few select passages that some have, or the broad but often critical appreciation those have who are familiar with the details of the Bible, and not just a few memory verses?
Here’s the song “Who Dunnit?” for those unfamiliar with it. The true fans, of course, know it already…
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