This week I saw a picture posted by a hard core Christian band. A friend of mine was a bit shocked and, i dare say, offended by it and asked my thoughts on it… Thus was born this blog that has been a long time stewing in my brain. I want to preface it by saying yes, I do listen to these bands still and yes, I'm sure I will be at another concert at some point in the future. I also want to warn that this may offend some who are into this type of music and/or "scene" but I would ask that you pray about why this was offensive of stinky to you and know my point was not to offend anyone…
The hard core/metal/alternative Christian music "industry" has gotten an increasingly bad rep in my book. Over the last few years I have spend countless hours listening to great, solid, awesome music with some great, solid, Biblical and theological themes that have spoken into my life. On the flip side- I've spent countless hours at shows of these same bands and have witnessed them singing these songs, but behaving completely contradictory of their message, and of the life Christ commands His followers to lead. I'm not expecting perfection from them, but I am expecting integrity. Furthermore, and this is what gets people ticked off at me, we concert goers who are Christians and proclaim the same Gospel, are doing what at these shows? Cursing, moshing, flailing about, hitting people, kicking people. Yeah, maybe by accident but it doesn't count as an accident after you do it once, then continue to repeat the same offense, all.night.lomg. This is something I have struggled with heavily because I love going to the shows, but after getting hit, felt up, hit, hit, hit, kicked, knocked down, I seriously can't justify it anymore. Not for me, and not for them. As cliche as people want to make it, I often think "what would Jesus do?" Honestly, does anyone think Jesus is ok with this type of violence? If so, maybe they need to revisit their Bible. Even more off is the gender issue... called me a sexist if you must but dudes are generally bigger, stronger, and have less cares in the mosh pit than chicks. Oh, and these dudes? Yeah- their the ones outraged by Ray Rice beating the snot out of his woman… their the ones agreeing that there's never an appropriate time to hit a woman… they're the Christians in the mosh pit who's out of control, flailing arm just hit a girl in the middle of her face, knocking her glasses of her head and throwing her back into the wall… Am I seriously the only person who sees something wrong with this? And what does the band do? They encourage the out of control-ness, and why? Because it looks better to them? So they know people "get it" and are into it? Where is Christ in this? I'm NOT condemning people for going to these shows, I'm not condemning the bands, I'm merely indicting the inconsistencies.
We are commanded to live a consistent life of integrity. 1 John 2:5b-6 says "This is how we know we are in Him: The one who says he remains in Him should walk just as He walked." These bands who go in the name of Christ, are ABSOLUTELY held to a higher standard because they have a pedestal with which they speak the name of Christ. People always want to say we put too high of standards on them but that is what comes with the territory. The minute they decided to be Christians in a band was the minute they became influential to a mass audience (regardless of size). Their Facebook pages, twitter accounts, instagram, whatever, is included in this. If there is a loss of integrity on Facebook, people are going to see it. Christians who may not be strong in the convictions of the Bible, are able to genuinely justify shady behavior because the older, "wiser," Christian did it. This is the problem I have with Emery, a band that I credit as music that got me through my divorce, a band who's music I really, REALLY enjoy. Their desire to be edgy to appeal to non-believers is a dangerous and slippery slope. They curse, just to curse, and talk about things that controversial (some I do think should be talked about but they take it much too far) for the sake of appeal? The Bible is CLEAR about this stuff. One of the many places is Ephesians 5 where Paul is talking about suitable behavior of the Christian. He tells us what to do and what not to do: "Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children. And walk in love, as the Messiah also loved us and gave Himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed should not even be heard of among you, as is proper for saints. Coarse and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks."
There's NO place for this stuff in the life of a Christian… if you notice, Paul DOES NOT say that this behavior is NOT right for world, because this is how the world thinks and acts. Unfortunately it's easy and "natural" for us to be that way. And some dare say that Christians who strive to uphold this level of integrity are somehow ostracizing the unbelievers. Yes, it may be intimidating for them to come into a place where cursing and foul jokes are not welcome, but the point isn't to lower our standards, the very standards Christ has given us but to love our brother when he comes in and uses such language. That love we show is a glimpse of Christ's love and once that heart is full of Christ's love the desire to be rid of language/talk that doesn't please Christ naturally follows that love.
The same for the moshing. I understand the intent behind it may not be malice, but Christ died for me, can I really not give up a ridiculous "dance" in order to show His love, through me, to my brother or sister? And for the ones moshing to "get out their anger," aren't we called to lay that before the feet of our Savior, rather than pound it into an unsuspecting brother or sister in the faith who only wanted to watch her favorite band play without fear of being beat up? Some may argue that there is a time and place for it but i disagree. And it's hard for me, most who know me know that I've been attending as many shows as possible of these types of bands for the last 8+ years. I haven't been to a show since August and I believe this is the longest stretch I've endured, and it's sad, and I thought it was going to be super hard to abstain from these shows but in my obedience to the Lord He has filled my heart and life with other things to do that build Him up and don't tear anything down. ANd it's been good, real good.
Again I'm not judging, I'm not condemning, I'm merely asking my brothers and sisters to think and pray on these things. Bands- is your everyday life living up to the words you proclaim in your music? Yes, I get that people may be hearing the Gospel but Christ didn't tell us to merely share the Gospel. His COMMAND was to "Go and make disciples." Disciples of whom? Him, Christ. That means teaching what He taught, living what He lived, being imitators of Him so those you are discipling would see a clearer picture of Christ and may live like Him and further the discipling. How you do ministry matters! Even for Jesus it mattered.
Brant Hansen wrote an amazing blog about this (the first quote is someone arguing against his point that how you do ministry matters) : “Just look at the fruit, though! This ministry may have milked people for millions, but you can’t argue with the fruit!”
But the fruit of the Spirit is not mass-appeal, nor institutional footprint. It’s not multi-campuses. It’s not community awareness or revenue growth. If it is, Starbucks is a spiritual giant. The fruit of the Spirit is another list, entirely: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and self-control.
Bands- I get that your appeal is bringing in kids that may never go to church or other places that may present them with the Gospel, and I love that! But is your lack of integrity, diluting that Gospel? Are you portraying that in Christ we can truly be freed from the bonds of sin. Not just the consequence of sin, but the bonds of sin here, and now. That a new life, holy and pleasing the Christ CAN be lived here on earth through the power of the blood that rescued us ALSO from the condemnation of that sin? Or are you doing what Paul EXPLICITLY warns agains in Romans 6 when he said, "What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it?" Do we talk foolishly and coarsely to make Christ appealing to those who don't yet know Him? Paul says no. What say you?
Whew! Don't be too harsh on me. Everything said here is out of love and concern.
Blessings,
~Jennanana
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