Jesus and Johnny Cash

If you've heard Gary Allen's excellent new album, Tough all Over, you've also heard the song Nickajack Cave. The song tells the story of how Johnny Cash took a bunch of pills and then crawled up into a cave ... to die.

Of course, this was actually the turning point in Cash's life. According to Nickajack Cave:

"Then he crawled out from beneath that ledge
And felt a gentle breeze
Tears and dirt smeared on his face
As peaceful as could be
Well, he knelt down upon the ground
Raised his eyes up to the light and prayed
He said, "Lord, I'll be your servant from this day."
That's how he became "The Man In Black" in Nickajack Cave"

Chuck Colson has a good review of Walk the Line. The only thing he laments is that the film doesn't address Johnny's conversion to faith. Hey, maybe the movie movie producers and Gary Allen should have coordinated?

According to Colson:

"Unfortunately, this film ends before the full story of Cash's conversion to Christ and the good things he did thereafter could be told. That story would have been a great movie, but maybe that's too much to expect of Hollywood. Even so, as it is, in spite of portraying drug use and domestic violence, the film is appealing to nonbelievers, because it's the story of two seekers who, after a great deal of pain, start down the path to true healing. It does allude to God's plan, but stops there."

Here's hoping for a Cash sequel that mentions his faith: Man in Black II -- The Man Comes Around!