There's No Such Thing as "Christian" music...
Many
times, that’s how people see Christian art, or Christians making
art: They see the art as having an agenda. Christians have really
used and almost in some senses prostituted art in order to give
answers instead of telling great stories and raising great questions.
-Lecrae
“Christian
music (as a genre) exists exclusively within the few insulated floors
of some corporate construction in Nashville, Tennessee,”...
“Otherwise, there’s no such thing as Christian music.”
-Sufjan Stevens
I started on this article some months ago but never put it up. It's
a touchy subject to some, to many people it's a non issue. The idea
of “Christian music”. But for me, music, like all the arts,
whether it be theater, painting,writing poetry and prose or other
modes of creative expression, falls into two categories: good or bad.
I've heard music labeled as “Christian music” that was really
awful, lyrics were bad, music was bad and there was nothing appealing
about it. I've also heard “Christian music” that was really
good, good lines, good chorus, all the good clippings of music that
we like and enjoy. But, to be honest, I haven't heard a lot.
I'm being honest here, you can hate me or judge me as horrible if you
wish, but I don't listen to the local “Christian” music station.
I have no problem with people that do, my wife does and the kids like
it as well, that's just fine. But I don't when I'm in the car and I
have control of the radio, mostly because it all sounds the same,
there's very little variety and the lyrics, for the most part, are
tedious and repetitive.
I plan to pick up this topic later, this is just some food for thought. I'm
not saying my view is the right view, I'm simply telling you it's my view.
I'm going to put a rather lengthy quote, which I have footnoted to
give credit where credit is due and a possible encounter concerning Martin Luther.
... After a
cobbler converted to Christianity, he asked the German theologian how
he could be a good Christian cobbler. Luther responded, “The
Christian shoemaker does his duty not by putting little crosses on
the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in
good craftsmanship.”
The
answer, then, might not be in striving to convey the message most
full of surface-level goodness but, rather, in pushing for artistic
greatness. Then, once form and content emerge in harmony, can
barriers be broken down and conversation begin.
Because
really: no one likes a poorly made shoe.1
Jon
Foreman was interviewed on the idea of “Christian music”, here's
what he had to say:
“To
be honest, this question grieves me because I feel that it represents
a much bigger issue than simply a couple SF tunes. In true Socratic
form, let me ask you a few questions: Does Lewis or
Tolkien mention Christ in any of their fictional series? Are Bach’s
sonata’s Christian? What is more Christ-like, feeding the poor,
making furniture, cleaning bathrooms, or painting a sunset? There is
a schism between the sacred and the secular in all of our modern
minds. The view that a pastor is more “Christian” than a girls
volleyball coach is flawed and heretical. The stance that
a worship leader
is more spiritual than a janitor is condescending and flawed. These
different callings and purposes further demonstrate God’s
sovereignty.
Many
songs are worthy of being written. Switchfoot will write some, Keith
Green, Bach, and perhaps yourself have written others. Some of these
songs are about redemption, others about the sunrise, others about
nothing in particular: written for the simple joy of music. None of
these songs has been born again, and to that end there is no such
thing as Christian music. No. Christ didn’t come and die for my
songs, he came for me. Yes. My songs are a part of my life. But
judging from scripture I can only conclude that our God is much more
interested in how I treat the poor and the broken and the hungry than
the personal pronouns I use when I sing. I am a believer. Many of
these songs talk about this belief. An obligation to say this or do
that does not sound like the glorious freedom that Christ died
to afford me. I do have an obligation, however, a debt that cannot be
settled by my lyrical decisions. My life will be judged by my
obedience, not my ability to confine my lyrics to this box or that.
We all have a different calling; Switchfoot is trying to be obedient
to who we are called to be. We’re not trying to be Audio A or U2 or
POD or Bach: we’re trying to be Switchfoot.
You
see, a song that has the words: “Jesus Christ” is no more or less
“Christian” than an instrumental piece. (I’ve heard lots of
people say Jesus Christ
and they weren’t talking about their redeemer.) You see, Jesus
didn’t die for any of my tunes. So there is no hierarchy of life or
songs or occupation only obedience. We have a call to take up our
cross and follow. We can be sure that these roads will be different
for all of us. Just as you have one body and every part has a
different function, so in Christ we who are many form one body and
each of us belongs to all the others. Please be slow to judge
“brothers” who have a different calling.2
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