Someone who’s opinion I usually respect has just written an article bemoaning the fact that a popular song became so without the “mediating institution” of the Nashville music industry. He was really talking about direct versus indirect democracy (ours is supposed to be indirect) and cautioning of the dangers of direct democracy.

Without getting into all the nuance, I must respectfully disagree that it’s a problem when a song becomes popular without the approval of some authority. I asked a question, the answer to which I’m still waiting for:

How would you describe the Jesus movement in its first 250 years? If it had had to depend on “mediating institutions” it wouldn’t have survived.

Few, if any, great ideas or movements have come within the boundaries of existing “mediating institutions.”

The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus. (Acts 4.13, NLT)

And the leaders of the church had nothing to add to what I was preaching. (By the way, their reputation as great leaders made no difference to me, for God has no favorites.) (Galatians 2.6, NLT)