Have you ever caught yourself singing a song and suddenly become embarrassed. On occasion I have caught myself thinking, “Why would I be singing “Firework” while I’m cleaning the kitchen? I don’t even like that song!” In the same way, there are songs that, no matter how many times you hear them, you can’t help but sing along. “Don’t Stop Believin’” comes to mind.

There’s a familiar chord progression found in many pop songs that seem to make them, well, pop.

Throughout Scripture, we find a similar progression, so to speak. There’s a consistent theme being played over and over again, regardless of the lyrics.

Deuteronomy 10:12-13
And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?

We find similar summaries in Leviticus, Micah, the Psalms, and the New Testament. For all the complexities and nuance of Scripture, it seems that the whole point drives us back to simplicity. Love God. Follow Jesus. The pattern is intended to become familiar to the point that it gets stuck in our head and we find ourselves doing it without even thinking about it.

Pop songs have hooks – lyrics or melodies that make it easy to listen to, easy to sing, and easy to enjoy. Our lives need a hook, something that can bring us back to simply enjoying it. For many people, faith is just one more thing to be overwhelmed with. They associate it with guilt, shame, and feeling like an outsider. Who needs that, on top of everything else life throws at us?

Perhaps that’s why the Bible tends to move toward simplicity. Not that it’s easy, but it certainly seeks to be simple: Love God, love others. We know when we do, and we know when we don’t. The goal is to hear the melody and lyrics, to get them stuck in our hearts, and suddenly find ourselves singing without even realizing it.