A Culture Apart

Below is an edit of a 3 minute video I was recently sent. The laugh track was added by “The Soup” who got hold of the video (and is also the source of this edit).

I think the 30 seconds sums it up but is tainted by the laugh track. If you want to see the original, entire video view below.

I have mixed emotions about this

My first impulse is that of shock and awe. Laughter crept in but then suddenly anger and embarrassment.

The question sprang from my lips,”What are you doing??!!?”

Why does this performance bother me? I had to wrestle with this question.

Is it because it is bad music? No. The music alone is not bad, it’s just not my taste.

Is the because of the dancing? No. They are better dancers than I am. Albeit it’s funny to watch a white man move that way….

What exactly am I watching? I see Christians(??) engaging culture very, very poorly.

I confess that my judgment on them is wrong. For my part in this catastrophe: my sin taints my perspective and I am cynical. I will try to be as objective as possible. I am also working on relatively little information about the event.

Who is producing this? (Taken from www.theway.org) The Way is a fellowship of the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ for the manifestation of the more abundant life. A follower of The Way is filled with and manifests power from on high, holy spirit, and freely avails himself of fellowship meetings for spiritual nurture and growth. The Way fellowship is cemented together by the Spirit of God with each individual believer being transformed by the renewing of his mind according to the Word of God.

So what’s the problem??? (Aside from a twisted theology) Culture Clash.

I am a self-proclaimed media-culturalist. I work and teach media. I love, eat, sleep, breath, and digest commercials, movies, TV, and radio on a more thorough level than most americans. I ask annoying questions like, “Who’s the target audience?” while watching Extreme Home Makeover and make comments about kids shows with words like “production value”. I am a critic. We are all critics.

So when I see Christians (??) who are espousing spiritual truths using a poorly understood pop culture device to deliver the message…. that just doesn’t work for me. I don’t think these Christians(??) understand the audience they are seeking or the culture they are in.

Christianity has a unique culture unto itself. It does not look like any other culture; nor should it.

We are called to engage culture, being in it, but not of it. We are agents of redemption for every sphere of life….including pop culture.

So how do we engage? Smarter people than me have had more intelligent, thought-provoking, and profound answers. My only issue is to understand it before you engage.

The Way International says they are a Biblical research organization. Great. Super. Praise God that they are.

Perhaps they should include a class or two in Rhetoric, Speech, Theater, Production Design, Fashion, Marketing, Choreography, and Current Trends of American Media. AKA Liberal Arts.

So I ask the question again, “What are they doing? What are Biblical Scholars with an ounce of talent doing producing a pop music concert?” Has America suddenly come up short on real Christian artists who understand pop culture and entertainment enough to maintain dignity and communicate to their audience? I’m being snarky. Sorry. It simply doesn’t make sense to me.

Christian scientists are transforming and redeeming science. Christian authors are redeeming literature. Christian politicians are redeeming government. Would the Christian community be OK with a Christian plumber running for Senate? It’s Christian- that makes it good, right??!

C’mon.

God has called all of His people to move and act for His sake. Everyone has a God-given gift. The Way International even said so. We must be discerning enough to know when and how to use them.

Perhaps I am being too harsh. I hope that this presentation points people to Christ.

I highly doubt that it does- based on the amount of humiliating publicity it has received from both secular and Christian audiences.