I’ve said it many times before, I’m a huge fan of music from the seventies. There were so many good bands and great songs from that era. Bands like The Eagles, Allman Brothers, Bad Company and Lynyrd Skynyrd cranked out hit after hit for many years. There were also some bands known as "one hit wonders" that made the big time temporarily with a hit but were never able to sustain their stardom. One such band was The Ozark Mountain Daredevils. They actually had only two big hits. "Jackie Blue" was a great tune. The other hit was a song that hit it big "If You Want To Get To Heaven – You Got To Raise A Little Hell".

It’s been said that the lyricist was suggesting to "live your life authentically embracing one’s true self in defiance of societal norms and rigid religious expectations. The song has a great vibe featuring some of the best harmonica work you’ll ever hear. And of course, the lyrics catch you from the first verse. As far as the lyrics, I’m not really sure about the substance of the advice they offer. I was tuned in to a seventies playlist last week and heard the song for the first time in years.

My mind immediately began to "Follower of Jesus analyze" the lyrics. I was reminded of a term I learned early in my spiritual formation journey called "radical hospitality". This term was also used in conjunction with "radical discipleship". Certainly it’s the "radical" part that grabs our attention. The radical hospitality concept suggests offering welcome, support and belonging to the marginalized and unfamiliar ones among us. Further, going beyond superficial acts of charity to embrace vulnerability and shared community. Going beyond our comfort zone to offer deep engagement is in fact "radical" for most of us.

This "radical" concept was a huge epiphany for me. It somehow gave me permission to step a bit outside of the barriers and perimeters of much I had learned in my early days of church. With that, I was further reminded how Jesus stepped far outside of the religious elite as he traveled and ministered among the undesirables. The more I thought about this, the more I cuddled up to the lyrics of the song. Maybe you do need to raise a little hell to get to heaven.