Do You Want to Be Innocent or Relevant?

So you’re saying we need to be right out there, swearing and having sex and using violence? Is that what “getting out hands dirty” means? So we can relate to the world around us?

I am not so sure about it.

On the other hand, I agree that we cannot live our lives in a Christian bubble with nice and comfortable lives of innocence and stuff.

Yet… there’s gotta be a balance. We are in the world, yet called to be not of the world – otherwise, what can we offer the people we talk with?

“The best way” or “THE Way”?

I think it’s the tension between being part of the world and being indistinguishable from it. Because being a part of the world requires responsibility, many are afraid of it. We don’t trust ourselves (or others) to make good decisions when they get their hands dirty, so to speak.

But we can only learn to make good decisions when we have options. If the options are all taken away from us, we’ll be drawing ponies and cowboys but secretly draw the bad stuff in our secret notebooks.

My son goes to a strict Christian school. He is 8yrs old and we live a in a very small town where there aren’t many options. He brought his Diary of A Wimpy Kid book to school last week and the kids hovered around him like he had dirty magazine…are you kidding me?? And Harry Potter…don’t even bring up the H word!

The education at this school is superb but their strictness (especially when they hit high school age) concerns me and my husband. He most likely wont be going there when he hits junior high. Overly sheltered kids sometimes go a little wild when they get a little freedom when they head off to college. I know this from experience.

Wow! There are some really great thoughts in these comments already. Your subject really engages some hot dialogue.

Without being specific on my personal convictions as to the ‘dirt’ of life, I think one thing is imperative for us as Christians. And that is to be holy as Jesus was holy.

He was holy *internally* — set apart in His heart and mind unto His Father. His purity was not tainted by the unclean and sinful around Him. He touched the lepers and let the prostitutes dote all over Him. He met people in their mess and broke His heart over the pain of sin. And He didn’t cross the street away from the messy injured lying in the ditch. None of this was contrary to His Father’s heart toward ‘dirty’ mankind. Rather, He became *like us* — so He could relate to us — in every way. Except sin.

If our holiness projects that we are somehow “above” others, it is not the holiness of Jesus. That would be more akin to the holiness of the Pharisees. Our holiness should never make us fearful of the sinfulness of others, but rather confident in the Love that conquers and compassionate as our Father is compassionate.

Maybe this is being in the world, but not of it?

Thanks for a great discussion.

I find this topic really interesting. It’s something I think about lots ! I am what some people would class as a fairly liberal christian, I watch varied tv, and also love art. I think so much of it comes down to our hearts doesn’t it ? If a chrisitan artist/musician is walking with God, then their artwork will spring out of that place. at times this will be gritty, uncomfortable for some to look at and maybe not what some christians would want to look at. At other times it may be what could be classed as ‘holy’ or reflective of what lots of us class as christlike. I think being hard hitting, controversial and gritty for the sake of it, is dangerous ground. Some people are in a place with their walk with God that they need protection, and some time out of the grittiness of this world. Where others are in a position to get stuck in, wrestle with the good, the bad and the ugly. I seem to swing from sitting watching ‘the wire’ finding it deeply spitiural and causing me to run into god’s arms and pray, right through to wanting to run away, become Amish. I think most of us have a deep longing to be embedded and surrounded by things which reflect His holy ness, but have got to be prepared to get out hands dirty and when it’s right for us, connect with the pain, and gritty stuff.

I agree with what I believe is what you were trying to say, Matt. I do think that Christian artforms shouldn’t shy away from the darkness in the world, and that violence, language, and sexuality all can be used and addressed.

It all boils down to the spirit/intent behind it. Is it to glorify something dark, show darkness for what it is, teach a lesson, etc. We should never glorify darkness, but as Ted Dekker said, if Lord of the Rings replaced Sauron with a toothpick wielding turtle, good would not be shown as good.

So I am totally fine with a Christian including language/violence/darkness/etc in their work. I do have a hard time seeing how explicit sexual content has a place; I can see how some sensual content has a place, but if someone starts throwing in sex scenes, I don’t know how that could fit appropriately. However, I don’t believe that is what you are advocating

So, balance is key, and the motivation behind it is key. Sounds like every aspect of the Christian life to me!

Good article.

I’m not sure there’s anything wrong with using profanity and general “dirtiness” in art to make a point. Think about a movie of the Prodigal Son if it were made today. There would have to be scenes with foul language, drinking, and probably drug abuse to illustrate how lost the Son had become. But without those scenes the redemption and grace at the end wouldn’t make any sense. If used, it should be to transcend the brokenness of the world.

Really great job, Matt. I think you and I are on the same page when it comes to this kind of thing.

As for my thoughts on this “swearing” discussion, I’m going to be honest. I use swear words all the time. I think it’s kind of a non-issue as far as God is concerned. What is far more important to me is how my words affect those around me. I definitely do not swear around certain people, because for some these words can have a negative effect.

I often go out and drink with my coworkers. I’ll have a couple beers and use swear words sometimes. I don’t think these things prevent me from being a light into darkness. Being a goody-two-shoes who nobody wants to really talk to would prevent me from being a light into darkness, though, that’s for sure.

While I am with them, I often take time to listen to their struggles and encourage them. I do not get drunk. I look into people’s eyes when they’re talking to me. I am very intentional about building relationship, and it often leads to them asking questions about my faith. I think these things have a whole lot more to do with being a light than avoiding the use of certain words and drinks.

And as far as what Paul said in Scripture about filthy language, I’d like to point out that in Galatians 3:1 he uses a very inappropriate Greek word for that culture in that day. I learned that directly from my Greek professor at Bible college, one of the leading textual critics in the world. So there are two sides to that coin.

All that to say, I agree that there is a balance we must find, but I think many Christians are leaning way too far on the side of ‘cleanliness’ instead of relevance. If you don’t want to use certain words or drink alcohol, that is perfectly fine, but that doesn’t mean that it is a sin or that it negatively affects our being a witness.

Great post, Matt. Thanks for writing!

I think the most important thing for us as Christians is to learn how to live in a broken world and acknowledge the brokenness of it. And then we must help pick up the pieces so our beliefs and our God can be reflected in them. We all know life is messy and ugly and painful and we do ourselves no favors by trying to hide from or deny that–we ourselves are subjected to or a part of it so often. But by striving to make ourselves part of the solution (which may include language, violence, and controversy), we can begin to reflect the real world in our art while still lifting others up in the midst of the brokenness through it.

Great thoughts, thank you for sharing!

Being in the world, doesn’t mean we have to be insulated from it.

However, as we are both the all creative Artist’s individual masterpiece, and also His speckle of paint on his great canvass, which is not of this world, that is the art that should, will and can provoke the deepest thought in this “stained” world. Be it either in profound awe and desire, or in great offense that One can be so beautiful.