I was just rereading my title as I began to write this, and I realized someone could read the title as Christian artists giving birth to me. Ahahah, no. I don’t want to be a product of Christian artists.
What I actually mean by the title is that Christian artists do not interest me. They are quite boring. They sing about the same thing. All they sing about is God. It gets boring. It’s very uncreative. I’m very dissatisfied with the state of Christians artists. But I can’t be mad at Christian artists, right? By name, that’s what Christian artists do.
I was listening to the public radio the other day because I don’t usually listen to the Christian radio unless I really want to listen to Christian music (but I usually don’t want to listen to Christian music). Pink’s new song came on the radio, and I think it is kind of catchy. What a lot of people don’t know is that her song is really God singing that song to us.
OK, maybe not verbatim. Maybe not even the whole song. But God sings the chorus of Fuckin’ Perfect to us all the time. We could, of course, discuss the implications of God saying we are perfect to God no matter what, but the idea is that we don’t need to be perfect to be loved. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). I’ve probably heard that same idea over and over in Christian songs, but I love it when I hear it outside of Christian music because it’s catchy and everyone else is hearing it. That chorus is Christian music, and the entire world is hearing it! It’s mainstream!
The Gospel is going mainstream. How exciting is that?
What I am proposing is for a new breed of Christian artists (when I write artist, I mean music artists). I’d like to see Christian artists with lyrics that contain immersed Christian messages and content. I don’t want to hear explicit lyrics about God or Jesus. Save that for worship service on Sundays.
I feel like a lot of Christians will question me on that point: Leaving God in church on Sunday. I’m not saying we leave God there. I’m saying we reserve that form of worship in that place of worship. I’m proposing that Christian artists allow the environment dictate their form, to meet the ears of mainstream America where they are at. We wear formal black attire to a funeral, but we don’t wear it everyday.
Yeah, I get the whole thing about being set apart because that is what being holy is. But to what extent will Christians divorce themselves from the world? Or, rather, why do Christians have to distance themselves from the world when it comes to music? It frustrates me. OK, don’t sing about sex, drugs, or getting hammered at the club, but I don’t see why Christian artists can’t write songs about loving another guy or girl or enjoying a night off on the weekend.
I also understand the idea of being inspired by God for your artistry. I dig. I’m inspired the same way. But consider whether God is inspiring you to do another type of art that glorifies God without making explicit reference to God. I’m certain it’s possible. I think that’s what the world needs more of.
Ultimately, I’m sick and tired of the boundaries of Christian music. All it ever is is hopeful, uplifting, sorrowful, sorry, or proclaiming a quality of God. And it’s the same White artists on the radio that have the same exact sound. I didn’t know legitimate Christian rap existed until I met my roommate.
So boring. *yawn*
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