Not long ago, our Founder, President, and all-around good guy, Kevin McNeese, wrote an article called “What the Bleep is Happening to Christian Music?” It has made its way through the Interwebs and touched a nerve with many of us, including people within the Christian music industry. Most comments have supported his thoughts, but a comment stood out to me: there shouldn’t be a “Christian Music” genre, just pop/rock/country where artists are Christians.
Not singling one person out for combat, but I have seen this being discussed elsewhere, and the comment just leaned on a thought I’ve had for a while. I’ve been saying that there is a difference between Christian music and Christians in music. The latter includes artists and bands like Carrie Underwood, Twenty One Pilots, Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic, and Tori Kelly: people who live in mainstream music and are public with their faith.
Here’s my hot take: we need both Christian Music and Christians in music equally.
While there has been an awesome trend in Christian music where artists are more open in discussing that things aren’t always all sunshine and that there is room not to be okay, there are still guardrails. There should be. This genre exists to point people to Jesus and foster a deeper relationship with Him.
But Jake, we’re supposed to meet people where they are. Yes, and sometimes that requires being in a space that isn’t inside the guardrails of Christian music, and that’s okay. This is where I would say we need Christians in music. We need people outside the walls of the Church (if you will) speaking to those who will never set foot inside one or hit play on a Christian song. Not long ago, I went to a Seventh Day Slumber show in a dive bar where the local opener acts were trying to be “edgy” with profanity-laden lyrics. While the rock band is still in Christian music, they stepped out into a venue vastly different from the Church where I saw contemporary Christian artists Pat Barrett and Josh Baldwin the night before. To my surprise, those opening acts stuck around and heard about Jesus and heard the band’s testimony.
Is there room here for curse words, raw expression, or getting deep into the muck of issues we face? I can honestly say I don’t have a solid opinion on that. What I do believe, though, is that it shouldn’t be a free-for-all or a license to sin to get attention in these spaces. There’s still plenty of room for discussion about how Christians should act, what’s sound doctrine, swearing, sexualization, and so on. We are to be set apart. They are supposed to know who we are by how we present ourselves. Nobody left an encounter with Jesus the same way they entered. He never validated sin nor let those He encountered camp out in their sinful lifestyle. You get the idea.
I’ve been following an Instagram account called Christians Who Curse Sometimes. While I don’t always agree with everything said, a certain encouragement comes with knowing that real life happens to other Christians in the real world. It gets raw and sometimes even spicy over on that account. This world is messy, and I think it’s essential that we talk about it. Maybe not always publicly, but still. It only goes to reason that there should be music that follows that.
With all that said, I still firmly believe that Christian music should be a genre that continues to grow, both in listenership, quality, and creativity. We need to protect this space at all costs. Pardon the dramatics. Just like Kevin wrote, keep the junk out: the swearing, the sexualization, the cultural agendas. Keep this genre as one that solely exists to glorify God and lead people to a deeper relationship with Him. This genre should be where people don’t have to worry about what their families are listening to or seeing.
Let’s pause for a second to be real here. The Christian music industry is run by people who are sometimes not Christian or hold different beliefs. There’s money involved. Especially in this age of social media, artists live under a microscope, and people are waiting to cancel them for any mistake. We can debate doctrine and dive into the weeds about what’s acceptable till the cows come home. This is why there are a million denominations. But to say there is no real hurt here is disingenuous.
The Christian music industry isn’t perfect, just like our lives? *Gasp* Say it ain’t so…. (Insert shocked but not shocked face.)
Does this mean we should abolish this genre or treat this as a major earth-shaking crisis? Absolutely not. It should be striving to be more Christ-like at every turn. With each release. With each show. With each contract. With each meeting. Becoming more Christ-like doesn’t come through harsh judgment and cancellation. It doesn’t mean hating “the other side” and biting comments on social media. It means walking alongside everyone involved and being the iron that sharpens iron.
Does that mean the industry will be perfect someday? No. There’s still humanity involved. But this genre, this space, is too important to let it slip away. Music speaks to people in ways that words can’t. I love the servant’s heart that Christian artists have as they share Jesus through their music. Artists can share stories and stories about how their music has impacted fans. (Artists Share Fan Story Impacts - K-Love Fan Awards Red Carpet). I’m sure you have a song or two in mind right now that has impacted you.
My point is this: just like we need Jesus in our everyday lives, we need Jesus in mainstream music. But just like we also need the Church to refuel, we need Christian music to let God’s word soak into our souls.
Jake is the host of the NRT Now Podcast. He lives in the Dallas, TX area with his wife and three kids.
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