Get Out Of The Christian Ghetto
© 09.24.2015 By D. Eric Williams
Earlier today I was standing at the counter of our employees pharmacy when I noticed the music piped into the waiting area was provided by the local Christian contemporary station. While I waited for my prescription to be filled I was struck by the insipid character of the Christian ghetto. I had not listened to Christian contemporary music for a long time and I had forgotten how bad it is. All of the songs sounded alike. The tune, the beat and even the words were similar. Moreover, every artist had a similar sounding voice. And, just as it has been since the birth of Christian contemporary music, many of the songs were a variation on the "God as girlfriend" theme. Quite a few of the songs claimed that "Jesus is coming back soon" as well.
On one hand I cannot fault the Christian contemporary artists for their sameness. We live in a world full of people who have been dumbed down by the institutional education system. Our industrial model of humanity has been produced on purpose by the governing elite. The creation of a compliant, subservient labor-force, happy to be cared for by the nanny state has been the goal of our government-run education system for generations. Popular culture reflects this. The cookie-cutter approach to music, for instance, is not restricted to the Christian ghetto. All of modern pop music is unconcerned with talent or originality. Instead, the dumbed down masses prefer a predictable saccharine silliness, thinking their own favorite pop star is unique simply because the industry elites make the same thing available in a variety of packages.
We should expect much more from followers of Jesus Christ. Rather than play to the lowest common denominator, Christians should be doing everything they can raise the cultural bar. In the first place, people who call themselves followers of Jesus Christ should not participate in the public school system. Christian kids should be educated in a biblical, Christ centered fashion. Indeed, Christian, kingdom education should be offered to the masses at little or no cost. This can be done via the internet in the Kahn Academy model or out of the multipurpose room in your local church when subsidized by the congregation. In this way we might contribute to the betterment of society as we work to negate the efforts of the leftist oligarchy in degrading the minds of American citizens.
When it comes to Christian contemporary music, followers of Christ the King should be producing the best music around. It should be original and interesting. It should highlight the unique talents of each artist. It should feature dynamic vocals and identifiable instruments. Granted, good music will appeal to a fringe audience in our current cultural climate but quality music (along with top-notch film, literature, graphic art and so on) should be part of a multi-pronged approach in our effort to realize the kingdom of God.
The biggest obstacle to this is the Left Behindism that runs rampant in the modern Church. Contrary to popular belief, Left Behindism is not part of authentic Christianity but is a primary feature of American Folk Religion. In fact, it is one of the principal weapons used by the enemy to weaken the Church and render it ineffective in its proclamation of the gospel.
Thankfully, we have everything we need to fix the problem of Christian cultural irrelevancy (2 Peter 1:3). All that is required is the decision on the part of millions of Christians to get serious about their commitment to Jesus Christ the King. Get your kids out of public school system. Teach them to maximize their talents for the sake of the kingdom of God. Teach them that Kingdom living is simply bringing their life and arena of activity under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Instill in them the understanding that followers of Jesus must do everything as unto the Lord - everything! Oh, and of course, it would be helpful if you model this in your life as well.
Entire Site Copyright © 2024 By David Eric Williams