In the latter half of the 1990s, the music business was on the cusp of transformational change. Then, listeners went record stores to get the latest songs. The dominant formats for audiophiles were cassettes, compact discs, and vinyl records. To my delight, vinyl is enjoying a renaissance.
At that time, however, little did I and the music-buying public know of a looming service to forever disrupt the way people consume content. In 1999, two computer programmers, Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker, developed a program to allow song sharing over the internet, Napster. Instead of physical media, audiences played tunes through the MPEG-1 Audio Layer III file, commonly known as MP3.
Consequently, Napster offered a vast song selection at the click of a button but without paying. Napster amassed over 80 million registered users. Naturally, record executives and artists reacted to combat copy infringement, in effect, stealing. A federal court order shut down the company in 2001. Napster eventually reorganized as a legal distributor.
Confronted with this new landscape, record companies formed alliances with technology firms like Apple, Google, and Microsoft to sell music digitally. Napster became the blueprint for the music streaming services we all enjoy today.
During this time, I worked at a New Orleans branch of a leading national music retailer, Camelot Music. I was the go-to person for “who sings this song?” or “what do you know about this artist?” I enjoyed interacting with customers about one of my passions.
As music companies walked on virgin ground, I ventured into uncharted territory through theft as well. In those days, I was a wayward child in a rather discordant relationship with God. My disillusionment with the Christian life was palpable.
To my frustration, many breakthroughs I prayed for didn’t happen. On the other hand, those living frivolously had whatever they desired. If I appointed a spokesperson to vent the anger welling up inside me, the psalmist Asaph was perfect for the task. He laments to God in Psalms 73:3-5, “I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness. They seem to live such painless lives; their bodies are so healthy and strong. They don’t have troubles like other people; they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else.”
Further expressing his disdain, Asaph questions in verses 13 and 14, “Did I keep my heart pure for nothing? Did I keep myself innocent for no reason? I get nothing but trouble all day long; every morning brings me pain.” My solution for my angst was since God wouldn’t be there for me, I wouldn’t be there for Him. However, God honored the promise He made to me and refused to leave. He had a plan to bring me back.
One Friday afternoon, I decided to leave work early and head home. I wanted to catch up on the sleep I missed the night before. As I walked underneath a highway underpass towards a bus stop, I noticed two young men – mid-teens – on the other side of the street walking towards me.
“Hey, you!” one of them yelled. “What you got in that bag?” he asked pointing to the Camelot Music bag with CDs I bought. Next, I saw a bulge protruding from his shirt and the bottom of a black gun handle. “Give me your f@#ing wallet!” he demanded. I froze. I didn’t know if the gun was real or fake, but I wasn’t about to take any chances.
Sensing his growing impatience, I tried to defuse the situation and reached for my wallet in my back pocket. The other young man grabbed my wallet, took all my money, and both ran away. I stood there stunned in disbelief something like this could happen to me.
I arrived home and reported the event to the police. My attackers soon found out the authorities were on their trail. A few days later, my manager at Camelot Music informed me two teenage males fitting their description came with a crew looking for me. I chose to take a brief leave of absence to protect my manager and coworkers.
Some harrowing weeks went by, and the police contacted me with news they apprehended one of the men and set a date in juvenile court. At the hearing, I saw a scared and remorseful 15-year-old kid. He pleaded guilty alongside his mother begging for leniency. He said he committed the robbery under peer pressure from his accomplice. Officers arrested his partner in crime earlier for a separate incident.
I talked with him briefly after the judge gave his ruling. My new young friend apologized for what he did, and I forgave him. I shared that God was willing to forgive Him for this and his past mistakes if he would surrender to Him. In a solitary moment, I confessed my guilt to God for the distance I created between us. As I exited the courtroom, I said to Him the words of Psalm 119:67, “I used to wander off until You disciplined me, but now I closely follow Your word.”
Although robbed of possessions that day, I gained something far more valuable from the entire ordeal, a stronger bond with my heavenly Father. I’m reminded of what the Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 3:8-9, “Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake, I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with Him.”
Interestingly enough, I had in heavy rotation from my music collection a song from Sting — who champions an equitable model for singers and musicians in the digital era — with the lyrics, “If I ever lose my faith in you, there’d be nothing left for me to do.”
I thank God for His protection. I’m thankful for His amazing grace. Where He leads, I want to follow. Every day, I strive to live in harmony with Him.
Additional sources
Video: “Sting: Taylor Swift Is Brave” – https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2014-12-29/sting-taylor-swift-is-brave
