In my recent column centred on the traits and actions we should practice to ignite a New Evangelization, I shared how my Mom’s deep desire to seek the Lord at all times is a wellspring of inspiration.

There is something else my Mom passed onto me that I wish to share: A deep and lasting passion for the music of the late country-pop legend Kenny Rogers (1938-2020). 

As an aside, my classmates and teacher were very much caught off guard when I announced him as my favourite artist as part of a classroom activity back in Grade 5. 

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The passion was kindled by listening to the CD of Rogers’ 1999 appearance on the A&E Network’s “Live by Request” program. The warmth and depth of “The Gambler’s” husky vocals, his magnetic talents as a storyteller, and his powerful rapport with the audience were at full flight during this performance.

You are likely already wondering why I am devoting so much attention to the Texan who taught us “to know when hold ’em, know when to fold ‘em,” in a column about sharing the Gospel.

Well, I’ll tell you why. 

We are called to nourish our souls to further a revival of Christianity. St. Paul tells us in Philippians 4:8 that “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

Naturally, it can be easy to be daunted by the fear and hostility pervading contemporary society. To orient our minds and hearts to effectively share The Word of the Lord, I believe we must be more conscious than ever in considering the interior impact of what we’re reading, listening to, viewing and doing day by day. 

Once you identify an activity, program, book or musical composition that helps you feel more grounded, serene and connected with Christ, seek to return to that source whenever it feels like worldly pressures are overwhelming. 

Kenny Rogers’ music is one of those trusted founts for me. He sometimes acknowledged that there “are many guys who could sing circles around me,” and that his true gift was identifying great songs. 

Boy, did he.

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So many of the 566 tracks in his discography centre on God, abiding romantic love, faithfulness, determination, cherishing where you came from, and exemplifying true grit. Throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, Rogers was known as “the crossover king” because his tunes with deeply relatable themes were sizable hits on the country, pop and adult contemporary charts. 

Rogers’ work has become even more meaningful to me in 2025. His catalogue stands boldly in contrast with a culture where postmodern secular “tastemakers” are dizzyingly obsessed with deconstructing the past and subverting tradition. He sung about timeless values. He championed the indestructible. 

I, of course, love the mega hits such as “Lucille”, “The Gambler,” “Islands in the Stream,” “Coward of the County,” “Through the Years" and more. However, I want to highlight one of his deep cut gems. 

He closed the aforementioned “Live by Request” concert with "Slow Dance More," a folksy tale about a farming couple named Grady and Mamie Johnson and the values guiding them and their four children. Listen to the honest-to-goodness wisdom woven into this three-minute tune:

“So, love your neighbour as yourself
Don't use money to measure wealth
Trust in God, but lock your door
Buy low, sell high, and slow dance more.”

I am also touched by the bridge:

“I think I understand
What my father's father meant
When he said, 'Son, what matters most
You can count on just one hand."'

Simply put, I do draw closer to the Lord when listening to Kenny Rogers. 

One of the gifts of my reporting role with The Catholic Register is learning how others find a way to bridge the gap between the vertical (God in Heaven) and the horizontal (us on Earth). 

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The troupe of stage performers involved with Grotto Theatre Ministries in Manitoba feel attuned with Christ when they act out His sacrificial death for us all. Award-winning Christian singer-songwriter Danielle Savard speaks about how God guided her writing while she composed her album about spiritual warfare. And countless Christians have shared their stories with this publication about how volunteer work has beautified their soul as they saw God in the people they served.

May everyone find what nourishes their soul… and may we all slow dance more.