"Hip hop cannot be Christian."
"You must wear a tie and trousers with a belt to follow Jesus."
"If you cut your beard, you are sub-Christian."
"If you will not eat with a knife and fork, you must not be filled with the Holy Spirit."
A while back I heard part of a panel discussion that was actually affirming the first of the foregoing statements. I cannot fathom how anyone who knows Jesus today can still hold to such nonsense. But I have also realized that it is actually a deeper problem than simple bias for our own culture- in that case I suppose it was white/European/high brow culture or some such. One of the panelists actually said we should be taking our forms of art from the Scripture, too. Hmmm. So I guess we need to make Hebrew acrostic poetry and wear Hebrew style clothing and speak Hebrew to be closer to God. This, actually, seems to reflect what the deeper problem is, because he probably thinks that his musical styles and dress, etc, are a a biblical form in some way.
The deeper problem is syncretism, a blending of culture with Biblical truth such that the Biblical truth is distorted. And anyone who argues that some form of music cannot be made into something to proclaim the greatness of Jesus has syncretized their culture with Biblical truth. They are in error. And further, I would argue, this is one of the reasons why so many in America are leaving the Church- because they see through this and are sick of it. Churches that syncretize their culturally accepted forms with Scripture, and are unable to say there is a difference, have members who don't know what truly makes them Christian, and what part of their expressions are simply their particular culture. Thus when a member begins to reject the cultural forms they have been in for some reason, they feel they must also reject Scripture and Jesus. But they don't need to. This was solved in Acts 15. Christians did not have to become Jews to follow Jesus. They could remain within their culture, with a few prohibitions (including ones related to sexual immorality and idolotry). And so can each of us. We MUST see that there IS a distinction, or we will in fact syncretize our cultural views into Scripture. And we will be wrong every time.
Here's a simple test. If you went to Madra Pradesh, India, and were going to tell Hindus there about Jesus, and following Him, what would you tell them that they needed to know and do? Is it possible to go and tell them and have them meet the Savior of the world? Christians in Madra Pradesh would tell you that it is. Would you require them to dress like a westerner? "Of course not!" In another day people did think they needed to. It was called Colonialism. It was wrong. Does dressing like a westerner bring people closer to Jesus? Does singing hymns softly with no piano bring people closer to Jesus than using a piano? On what do you base that opinion? Neither is better. Neither is commanded by God, so neither is better and both are fine for seeking God. As long as we come to Him through Jesus and His finished work for a sinful humanity. As long as we live and depend on the gospel to return us into fellowship with the Creator of the Universe. "But some forms are inherently unredeemable." One of the panelists speaking about hip-hop music actually said something similar to this in relation to hip-hop. Hmmm. So is that form that is unredeemable hip hop plus low-brow German pub music? Country Western? The arrogance involved in such thinking as to deny the cultural forms of some peoples is striking, and I think it is also offensive to the heart of God. HE will have people from every tribe and tongue and people and tribe in heaven with His Son. I suppose people in the panel think that in heaven all these tribes will be transformed into white anglos in heaven? As shocking as it sounds, I believe that shows how fundamentally wrong such thinking is that would denigrate another culture for the sake of our own.
