“For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:5-6
While perusing an online newspaper the other day I came across a headline that caught my attention: “Christian Rock courting the cool kids.” I must admit the headline concerned me quite a bit. After all, didn’t Jesus specialize in courting those who weren’t “cool” in his society? The Apostle Paul wrote the church at Corinth “…God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” As I clicked the icon to read the article I was prepared to send off a nasty email to chastise any Christian group for being so shallow that they would attempt to evangelize only those they deemed “cool” enough.
A funny thing happened as I started to read the article however; I discovered that I had misread the intent of the article by my interpretation of the headline. Instead of Christian groups courting “cool” kids specifically, “cool” kids are now being attracted to a new style of Christian music that has focused on the content of the lyrics in the music and especially “…magnificent compositions that serve as statements of faith, awe and reverence — rather than proselytizing.” In other words, many people have been attracted to a new brand of Christian music that focuses on the majesty of the character of God rather than mimicking a style of music and putting a Christian stamp on it. People are discovering the Lord because of who He is, because the messenger is focused on who He is.
I am convinced that sometimes what irritates the world about evangelical Christians is our tendency to turn our love for the Lord into a sales contest. Part of the reason for that irritation is because it seems to trivialize God into a commodity that someone can buy for their own pleasure. Even non-Christians sense that if the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true it should be held in deep reverence. The truth of the glory of God is what really resonates with God’s creation, including His people. When talking with those who don’t know the Lord, simply be a witness to what you know about who He is. Many people will be blinded by the world and it’s system, there is nothing we can do about that. But it is important that we let His light shine so that those around us who have been given the “eyes to see” will be able to see His light, and not our folly.