The Nitty Gritty

My An Arkie's Faith column from the September 13, 2023, issue of The Polk County Pulse.

It has been fifty years since I graduated from high school, but I can still remember the first day of my senior year. I sometimes have trouble remembering past events, but this day is still in sharp focus. As I found a seat in Mr. Brost’s history class, the most beautiful girl I had ever seen walked into the classroom. 

Her blonde curls took my breath away as she walked into class that morning. But I was too shy to talk to girls, so I knew she would never be a part of my life other than being admired from across the room. As I tried to bring my focus back to Mr. Brost standing at the front of the room, I heard him say something about a learning packet. “What is a learning packet?” I wondered. Mr. Brost went on to explain. He would choose five students to produce a weekly learning packet for the other students.

Mr. Brost picked five students who would meet in the library instead of coming to class. They would review the following week’s history lessons and produce additional materials to help the students learn. When Mr. Brost picked the five students, I was chosen along with the beautiful girl with the golden curls. There would be no way that I could avoid talking to her.

Meeting with the history learning packet group in a room just off the library was my favorite part of school. We didn’t work very hard and spent most of our time hanging out and visiting. The library stored audio-visual equipment, including a record player, in the room where we met. Occasionally, I would bring a record, and we would listen to it.

One day, I brought an album I had recently purchased. It was unlike anything I had heard before, and I wanted to share it with the group. The album was Uncle Charlie and His Dog Teddy by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. The interview with Uncle Charlie, as an album cut where he tells his life story, was unprecedented on any pop or rock album I had ever listened to. Uncle Charlie even gets his dog, Teddy, to sing. The traditional bluegrass sprinkled among the country rock songs was refreshing and the first bluegrass music I had ever heard. There was even a piece of classical music played on the banjo. I wanted my friends to listen to this music.  

Not everyone was as excited about this eclectic album as I was, but the consensus was that our favorite song was House at Pooh Corner. While blending genres is commonplace today, it was revolutionary in 1970. The album Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy was equal parts country, bluegrass, folk, and rock.

Over the years, I have always listened to The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. From the Will the Circle be Unbroken album, with its focus on the legends of traditional bluegrass, to their more pop-oriented music of the late 70s and conquering country music radio during the mid-80s, I have always enjoyed their music.

It seems that the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is hard to pigeonhole into any one genre of music. The lyrics to their song, Partners, Brothers and Friends, explain it this way. “Well, I saw a story in the paper. Suddenly, the band's big news. The critics all like our records just fine, but they seem a bit confused. Is it folk or rock or country? Seems like everybody cares but us. So just leave us an early wake-up call so we don't miss the bus.”

When I learned that Nitty Gritty Dirt Band would be in concert at Oaklawn Casino in Hot Springs, I purchased tickets for myself and the beautiful girl from history class. I couldn’t believe that I would be able to hear them in concert. When the day finally came, I wasn’t disappointed. It was one of the best concerts I have ever been to. 

As I sat in the audience, waiting for the concert to begin, there was a large Nitty Gritty Dirt Band logo projected onto the screen at the back of the stage, and I wondered where the name came from. I took my phone out of my pocket and did a bit of research. 

The dictionary meaning of nitty-gritty is “the most important aspects or practical details of a subject or situation.” The dirt in the band’s name means "soil of the earth.” Many critics feel that The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band was instrumental in forming Americana and Roots music.

As I thought about the meaning of nitty-gritty, I wondered what the nitty-gritty of the Bible is. What is the most important aspect? Great theologians could spend lifetimes discussing the idea, but there is a passage in the Bible that I think boils the message down to the nitty gritty. It is found in Philippians 2:6-10 (ICB)

“Christ himself was like God in everything. He was equal with God. But he did not think that being equal with God was something to be held on to. He gave up his place with God and made himself nothing. He was born as a man and became like a servant. And when he was living as a man, he humbled himself and was fully obedient to God.

He obeyed even when that caused his death—death on a cross. So God raised Christ to the highest place. God made the name of Christ greater than every other name. God wants every knee to bow to Jesus— everyone in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.”

In poetic form, this passage summarizes the gospel story. Although Jesus was equal with God the Father in his divine nature, he chose to empty himself of his divine rights and become a human. Jesus, though he was a king, became a humble servant and died the humiliating death of crucifixion for the forgiveness of our sins.

Philippians chapter 2 is a microcosm of the story and teachings of Jesus - the nitty gritty. The story of Jesus leads those who follow him to live humbly, showing love toward one another in a way that helps them live in harmony with one another. “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3,4 (ESV)

Gentle Reader, I can’t think of a more relevant paragraph to our fractured world than this. As Christians, how are we doing at living this out? Are we counting others more significant than ourselves and considering the needs of others more than our own? It’s the nitty-gritty of Jesus’ teachings.