As far as I know, Ben Gibbard—the lead singer of the rock band Death Cab for Cutie—is not a Christian. Yet the opening lines to “Soul Meets Body”—a cut from theband’s most recent disc, Plans (2005)—wouldn’t sound out of place in a gospel song:

I want to live where soul meets body,
And let the sun wrap its arms around me,
And bathe my skin in water cool and cleansing,
And feel, feel what it's like to be new

“Soul Meets Body” isn’t a declaration of faith, although it is suffused with religious imagery. Ultimately, Gibbard finds transcendence in romantic love. A recurring theme in Plans is that death will take a loved one from him, but love itself will remain. For Christians, the reassurance that we will join our beloved in Heaven—that we will join all those we love and who share in God’s glory—gives us that hope.

Many Christians assume that secular rock music offers them nothing more than decadence or, at best, distraction from spiritual matters. Death Cab for Cutie’s music isn’t going to convert anyone to Christianity, but many of the band’s listeners probably find themselves longing, as Ben Gibbard does, for something to give their lives meaning. That longing may be the first step towards the truth Christians hold so dear.

I’m not suggesting that young Christians rush out to buy Plans. If I were reviewing the CD as a music journalist, I’d have some problems with it. (Gibbard writes lines that he intends to be deeply meaningful, but end up sounding merely sad or, worse, sentimental. In “Soul Meets Body” he sings, “If the silence takes you/Then I hope it takes me too.” ) But it is music written and played by musicians who are reaching for more than the empty pleasures we assume rock ‘n’ roll stands for. Bands like Death Cab for Cutie—as well as The Flaming Lips, The Magic Numbers, and My Morning Jacket—serve to remind us that we, as believers, are not the only ones asking good questions about meaning and eternity.

Joseph Taylor is a music reviewer who attends Harrisburg (Pa.) BIC Church.

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