As of the writing of this article, the song “Baby Shark Dance” on YouTube has 14,088,846,204 views. To put that in perspective, it’s almost as if every single human being on the planet watched the video twice. For a little more perspective, the total playtime so far would be around 469,628,206 hours (not counting the hours it gets stuck in your head). Meaning around 19,567,841 days. Meaning around 53,610 years’ worth of “Baby Shark Dance.” Ultimately meaning, you would have to live 678.6 full lifetimes to equal the time that people have heard “Baby Shark Dance” on YouTube. What a time to be alive.
With staggering numbers like that, it’s statistically safe to say that you may have at least heard the song, “Baby Shark” (do do do do do do). I myself am guilty of a few of those views, as it made its way into my youth group classes many times before, more so to annoy the kids than anything else. Overall, I think we could certainly say that something as simple as that song, which requires zero understanding, has become a cultural and societal landmark! So much so, that many may even be shocked if you haven’t heard it yet. “What?! You don’t know Baby Shark?!” (do do do do do do).
I hold nothing against “Baby Shark” (do do do do do do), and it’s success is probably well earned, but I also have to wonder…what would the world look like if we were just as tenacious with the voice and sounds of our faith? What if we spent so much time sharing the voice of our God and the words He has spoken and the songs He inspired, that there were more than enough tangible examples for everyone on earth to hear twice? Don’t get me wrong, the message of God is spread far and wide, but many times the sounds we bring forward and the voice we use to represent Him don’t match with His character. So many have misheard, and so many have misspoken, that when His true nature is understood and revealed, we realize what we’ve been missing. How sweet the sound, when we realize His love and intention. How sweet the sound, when we see His forgiveness and call to righteousness. How sweet the sound, that saved wretches like us. With Him in mind, may we spread the news to those who may be shocked to hear for the first time the voice in Isaiah 40:28, “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.” And we thought “Baby Shark” was exciting! (do do do do do do).
Caleb Smith, Pulpit Minister
