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I have but a moment to blog today, but someone asked me what I thought of the “big hit among Christians” video below.
As usual, my answers are never straight and simple. In a nuanced universe, why should they be? But my opinions are strong – so here goes.
Here’s the short answer, to Christians – his intent is good, he’s not bad, but he’s just wrong. This confusing line of reasoning sounds great to many Christians, but in my estimation, it is short-sighted and has a weak view of how God works in human history. In fact, it is a harmful way to approach not only faith, but the systems that make up what we call life.
Here’s the longer answer, to Christians - The guy wants to separate himself from anything that is not postmodern in its purest sense – here and now, relational, nondescript, non-institutional, non-hip, feeling-oriented, etc. It’s cool to be anti-establishment, especially when you want to distance yourself from those aspects of the church establishment you hate (and we all do) while you identify with, and snuggle up to, the ones you love.
I see a fear, or misconstrued sense, of how God works in historical process with broken human beings. As in a family, you can run away from all you didn’t like, but the reality is, it’s your story and you might as well learn from it. To associate yourself with a religious system is not to associate yourself with all that happens that is dark within it. It is to bear it, and from within, triumph in the opposite ways.
Align yourself with Wall Street or a political party and see if everything they are associated with meets your specs. And try running the world, or your home, without any systems for your bobsled life to run on.
While none of these ideas he presents seem directly problematic when integrated with a thoughtful vision of the cosmos and history, left to itself, the main idea he has left us with offers a confusing package to anyone who watches it and thinks they agree.
First, he is dividing between religion and faith, which is always good. But the “I hate religion,” in my estimation, is just silly and shortsighted.
Religion is the set of tracks faith runs on – any faith – it offers systems and ways of keeping faith alive over millennia. Anything that taught him about Jesus – The Scriptures, a spiritual leader, Cathedrals, boards of directors, meetings, lighting, heat, songs, liturgies and more are all containers for faith to run on. He is (without clear intention, I believe) denying his mothers and fathers, and the systems they created to deliver to him any faith worth having.
Hating your parents and anything associated with them. That always works out well for our psychological, emotional and spiritual health.
How will a faith that embraces forgiveness, that radiates transforming life in the people it authentically touches, expresses compassion to the poor and broken in society without relenting – over millennia, that incarnates the virtue of love in a way that actually empowers you to become the kind of person who helps end Apartheid with non-violence – be passed on to his children, and his children’s children, and his children’s children’s children?
Systems filled with art, beauty, repetition, substance, words, images, boards and fallen but majestic men and women will do the work for you – that’s how.
(I would add here that sometimes people have to lose their “religion” to find their “faith” again. Why would we get so bent out of shape over that? Sometimes the old brand of faith they were carrying needed to be lost, for them to find a new faith that’s living, pulses with hope and all that is good and right and true and loving and transforming, and is able to sustain them and future generations for a lifetime of marriage, war, divorce, success and failure.)
Secondly, religious systems can infuse faith with life and power, or become a distraction and disorient those who hunger for faith. Hating religion isn’t the point. It’s hating what we do with religion, with those tracks, that is the point. What he really hates is the human heart.
I actually think the Islamic response was stronger, though it’s goal was to extract the mystery out of Christianity and turn us toward the raw submission of Islam.
As far as my Christian readers go, let me just say, you can love Religion and love Jesus, and you can love Jesus and avoid any system that galvanizes resources to care for the poor, creates spaces to gather on a weekly basis to remember his teaching, or employs anyone to do anything in his name.
But our humanity can push us to serve Religion rather than Jesus.
Hate the human condition – which Jesus articulates more beautifully than any other – and leverage the systems that be to actually pass on your faith and actions beyond one generation.
Your generation.
I love Jesus, but I have a love/hate relationship with religion. Let it serve blossoming, deepening and impenetrable faith, but not attempt to replace that faith with its often helpful but sometimes divisive systems.
23 Comments
Well said…
You’ve articulated beautifully exactly what I wanted to say
Wow! Good points, but I agree with both of you. I don’t think our rapper was trying to break it down that much, to the point where we take a look at the history of religion over the ages, in his song. The word ‘religion’ does carry more than one meaning in our culture. You’ve looked at the good side, which there is, he refers to the self righteous, prideful one, which there is also. As believers, debating can be healthy but dividing is deadly.
Over the many years of my Christian life, I would definately prefer a Dan Wilt song over any rapper. haha. But I can still appreciate what this young man is trying to express to his culture.
blessings,
Thank you, Dan!
Agree with Elman. This video was not a theological treatise but been held to those standards. It does represent in going viral a multitude of people that are just as concerned about what man has made of the local church. We as leaders in the Church, as followers of Jesus, should see this as a cry for reform(ation), purity in our leadership, and again making the main thing. Way to wake us up, Jefferson, and I admire your grace in the vitriol you have faced for your opinion!
I have to say I agree with what Elman said, and I also value and agree with what you said, Dan.
Thanks for your comments, guys. There is nothing that is not, explicitly or implicitly, a theological treatise.
It is our love for “pop theology” that is only semi-thought through that continues to get us in macro-cultural pickles with a world that finds our ways of talking about faith strange.
The quickest way to right a ship is not to utterly tilt it the other way to make the point – it’s to go to the center.
Let’s all gang up on the building of buildings like the one behind him. It’s his metaphor, so let’s do what some did in the Reformation, against Luther’s wishes – let’s destroy the past, burn the cathedrals and rip up the art of masters.
That’ll show ‘em. Now there’s a reformation. Burn the past and idealize the present.
If anything, this young man has started a much needed dialogue. So many have turned away from organized religion in the past two decades, and I feel it is primarily due to the hypocrisy of many who practice religion. The leaders of religion need to develop some ways to handle this hypocrisy in such away that it is not allowed to drive people away. I know so very many, of all ages, who have tried repeatedly to fit into a church setting, only to leave in despair and pain. I, myself, have trouble staying with the church. I think that if we confronted hypocrisy in love and compassion but with a definite message that it will not be tolerated, many could find it in their hearts to stay. So, those of you who lead the churches, take note! And thank you to the young man to giving a voice to all of us who have been hurt by what we’ve observed in today’s “religion”. I think you’ve done a great service to our Lord by your video.
Nicely articulated, Dan. I had the similar thoughts as well. I couldn’t help but wince when I saw the video and the number of my friends re-posting it. He’s a well meaning young man and a new believer. I admire his passion and willingness to proclaim Jesus. But there are certainly a number of things that could use deeper thought, reflection, and some years of maturing.
I really appreciate your thoughtful response to this video and I love the second video!!! When I first saw this video it resonated within me! Yet, I didn’t take it from the video that he hates the church. I think it is the religious spirit that he is referring to that is alive and well around us.
Like Evelyn comments, I am grateful for the dialogue this young man has created! If we could answer with honesty the first few questions in his rap we would be miles ahead in our Christian walk. For those of us who may not have experienced his angst with church it is still important to realize that the church can always do better, especially when it comes to meeting the needs of the broken and hurting through Jesus.
If anything, it inspires me to share the many wonderful things that the church does right…and there are many! Both videos challenge me to be more intentional about the love of Jesus and my willingness to serve those in need.
Nathan, I too love his passion, and Evelyn, I am grateful for the dialogue. I too want to serve Jesus with all that I am.
There is a great discussion going on over on my Facebook post, but I want to post one of my lengthy comments here.
Note: I too am all for passionate faith, expressed in resurrection life, new creation, socially serving and spiritually transforming works in culture in every generation. That is the lens for the following.
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From Facebook:
I appreciate the comments all. Hear me, there is much to love in what Jeff is saying. Let me be blunt (which is unusual for me), and I’m in the mood for a real scrap over this.
Words matter. Words matter. Words matter. Be exact with your words, not sloppy.
Jeff is standing in front of a large, institutional looking building. The message is clear, in the title, and in the poem, and in the film. It’s good art and good production. He is saying something Christians love, and I am saying “Good on ya; it’s short-sighted.”
Walker – With all due respect and friendship, I’m tired of being called a theologian because I care about words and art and meaning in a church world that is sloppy on all fronts. Words matter. Words matter. They carry theology, no matter who is saying them.
Here are his words. “I Hate Religion.” Here is the visual statement – “I Hate Any Institutional Idea That Man Makes That Carries Faith But Sometimes Abuses Ideas To Their Own Ends Due To The Historic Systems They Have In Place.” Here is his poetic statement – “Jesus and religion are on the opposite spectrum, you see, one’s the work of God, one’s a man-made invention; one is the cure, but the other is the infection.”
Mankind’s sin, manifest in religious polarizations, wayward heart, spiritual confusion and need to live in an us-them, me and my “other” world is worthy of hate. I hate it.
With his Title, with his Visual Statement, with his Poetry, he graciously and thoughtfully (hear me – I like elements of it) damned the “systems” and “institutions” and “patterns” and “man-made inventions” (liturgy, worship songs, systems that enable a church to be legal, buy a sound system, the text he reads Jesus’ words on (delivered to him by religious systems), systems that pass on the faith, the common lectionary, the organization for whom he promoted their watches for sale in the text below the video).
We want a naked faith, devoid of systems to wield it, treasure it, steward it, beautify it (thank you for cathedrals, though yes, some of that money could have been spent on the poor, but instead it gave some of the poor a beautiful, inspiring place of worship that they call their ‘own’).
He has faith because religious systems helped deliver it, nurture, shape it, and repeat it, incarnate it, and did their best to not let their fallen humanity destroy the central Story, over thousands of years.
I love the heartfelt love for Jesus. I’m in. The demonization of systems, that is clear in his message, “the infection” is what is portrayed.
No; the infection is the human heart, not the systems, not the buildings, not the work that man does to co-work with God – that’s called liturgeo – that’s called the work of man – that’s called what the church does week after week to help us believe we can partner with Christ in the changing of our cities, nations and families.
Leave the emotional love in, and take the systems out? Do that with a family, with children, over years. See if they learn anything beyond sloppy, misguided living.
Words matter. Words matter. Words matter.
We’re sloppy. That’s why the world thinks we’re nuts.
While we’re having the spiritual love-in (which, I note, I actually appreciate and teach about), let’s get rid of all our political systems and see how the nation works after 1 year.
Why not? The heart is the point, yes? The systems are the infection. Does this sound familiar?
By the way, do what Jeff says. Lose your faith in religion and allow religion (your church building, the instruments, the work of people week in and week out to inspire you to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God) to lift your faith.
Our tribe is Jesus, not any system. But you know what, my family takes cues from me, and I religiously and repetitively read the scriptures to them, pray for them, seek to model a Christ-like life, and more – my religion is what Phil said above:
James 1:26-27 (The Message) – “Anyone who sets himself up as “religious” by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air. Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.”
Last statement. Religion is a container. The worldview and attitudes it contains are what make it beautiful, or corrupt. Blame the human heart – but not every work that comes from it.
Either that or go isolate yourself from any and every community of faith, every church that ever existed. It’s all religion – and we have the privilege of embodying Jesus Story with it’s tools.
And oh my gosh. We humans get to participate in this heart felt faith. Let’s build a building to gather in. No… that could corrupt it because we have bad attitudes about real estate. Wait, let’s write a song or a prayer. No… that might be repeated and put in books and someone might build a system around it to deliver it to generations, and that could confuse people into thinking the song is the point, the book is the point, and not Jesus.
I couldn’t resist the sarcasm. Tired of being nice about all this. And Jeff and I would be good friends – we agree on so much. Just sick of religion-bashing. Words matter. The New Atheists, at least the authors, try to use their words well.
And by the way, a massive religious system delivered Anglican N.T. Wright into the hands of the church, and C.S. Lewis, and Francis Of Assisi, and Mother Theresa, and Desmond Tutu, and anyone else you might care to suggest doesn’t “hate religion.”
Dan, I like your response better than mine! This is very well said.
I enjoyed the video, as an artistic expression. But, I hate it as theological and practical application. The discussion it raises makes it good art. I think in that sense, I applaud the poem.
The one point I focused on is the simple definition Jesus and his brother James make of religion–or, true religion. James 1:27. He missed this idea of religion that most love about Christianity. Taking care of orphans and widows and living pure make sense. Of course, we know we cannot do that without the mysterious and inward life-giving power of the Holy Spirit.
Thanks!
Rich
Thanks, Rick. Good thoughts on James 1:27. Let’s do that – let’s take care of orphans and widows and live now in the presence of the New Creation future.
Let’s do that. Let’s even be religious about it.
Dan
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From Facebook:
I figured out what tweaks me so much about the buzz on this video.
1) I value HUMAN PARTICIPATION – this video suggests the infection is our invention, and our innovations to carry on the faith. Get “man” out of the picture; it’s all about God. If God did everything, it would be much better. But He uses us. The Gospel I embrace begins in Genesis, and we get to participate. Christianity is a blood and bone, divine and human interaction of love. It’s the human part that keeps me in, and the divine part that keeps me alive.
2) I value NUANCE – this video, catering to the tastes of much of the evangelical church, makes sweeping statements in soundbite form, precluding nuance. Awesome. That always gets us farther, faster – often down the wrong roads. Note: To say things with nuance takes more words, and more time.
3) I value HISTORY – and, in short, he, like much of our generation, seems to see it as irrelevant to the conversation. That is short-sighted. If he valued history, he’d recognize the leaders who history (and religious systems) delivered to us, spurred on by “true religion” robed in art, writing, structures – even rituals and architecture – Mother Theresa, Francis, Tutu, N.T. Wright, and more.
4) I value BEAUTY, and his language is that of stripping all things back to relationship. Man has the privilege of creating beauty to support and enhance relationship. Enter Zwilling and the joys of iconoclasm once again.
I.e. I love Jesus too. I hate what humans do with religion, out of our broken worldviews. But this video – while artful, clever and purely motivated – feels young, pop, lacking nuance, historically dismissive and denigrating to our glorious mandate as human beings.
And yes, his heart is good.
Hey Rich,
James 1:27 is naturally the first scripture that comes to mind when the word religion comes to mind. I mentioned earlier that the word religion does have a negative expression also. Paul, in Acts 26, refers to his religion involved him being a Pharisee. As Dan mentioned, it’s the heart, not the system. We know there were some honest and sincere Pharisees, even in Jesus’ day, but they all seemed to get a bad rap.
The whole time I listened to this young man rap, I never felt like he was attacking a system, but actually the heart or spirit behind the system. And by that, I mean the negativeness and bondage that “religion” (the negative religion) puts on people.
After reading Dan’s post on the verses, I can see that WORDS do matter, but PERCEPTION REALLY MATTERS. How many times in wanting to say one thing, we are perceived by others as saying the opposite. [I'm not saying, Dan, that you are perceiving this young guy wrong]. But Jesus is a classic case of that. He was hardly ever perceived correctly by the religious people (again the negative religion fueled by selfishness and pride).
As an indie songwriter, I am usually most critical of my own lyrics, because theological content is always important to me. Like many songwriters, I usually bounce my lyrics off of people on different worship forums and never have I been perceived the same way by everyone.
Perception of another man’s heart is an issue that’s hard to disect. Jesus was good at that. I’m not. I never noticed the big building Jeff was standing in front of, as something negative he was trying to portray until Dan mentioned it. Did I miss this young man’s cruel intention or did I just receive another man’s perception of what he was doing? I can almost be persuaded now.
Elman,
Yes, of course. He is attacking the spirit of religion, of being religious, of displacing faith with religion.
Yes, yes, yes.
But he is demonizing the word, saying “our efforts” are “the infection.”
No. No. No.
Liturgy is not the infection. Systems are not the infection. Carrying truth in fragile human traditions across generations is not the infection.
Misguided Love, sin, is the infection. Our hearts are infected, and we do silly things with traditions.
His title could have been “I Hate A Religious Attitude/Spirit, But I Love Jesus.”
Religion is a big word, and since 1970 (ask me), it’s been given a narrow, negative spin by evangelicalism. I’m just tired of the lack of nuance.
Ask @jeffuhsonbethke why they filmed in front of a monolithic building.
Good heart; clearly.
Nice response, Dan. As always, you are eloquent and cut to the heart.
I agree with you and Evelyn that the dialogue is needed; however when a conversation starts from a place of divisiveness, it is inherently difficult to find a common ground. The artist paints all faith-based institutions with the same brush, and that is blatantly unfair. There are many “religious” organizations and denominations that are doing the work of Christ every day, and this video completely neglects that.
I find this kind of counter-culture rant disingenuous. The artist is criticizing “religion” (whatever that is) for saying, essentially, “You have to think like we do.” when he is actually saying TO “religion” that they should think more like he does.
So “they” say “Do this or you’re not a true Christian.” and he says “Don’t do it and you are a true Christian.” How about saying “Love Jesus.” and let Him place you where he wants you?
And by the way, I actually belong to the kind of church he is looking for. But that doesn’t make him right.
Or maybe it could have been title, “Why I Hate False Religion, But I Love Jesus”.
Rich, Jeff did not fail to mention about taking care of orphans and widows. One of the verses he wrote was, “If religion is so great why has it started so many wars, why does it build huge churches but fails to feed the poor”. Yea he didn’t expound much on it but it’s there.
I agree Dan, that this young man probably doesn’t have much knowledge of the history of the church and might see much of church history from a negative perspective. He probably only studied the negative history and not the positive side that you know so well. He probably thinks the century old Hymns are out dated and useless. I say probably because I’m categorizing him with many of the other youth I know. Geez, my own worship team used to cringe when I picked a song like Blessed Assurance. I told them I felt God wanted us to do this. Their reply was “I beg to differ.” Then when we played the song, the power of God fell and this one dear, sweet old lady began weeping and crying out to God. When they approached her, she kept saying, “It’s that song, it’s that song!” I often wondered, did God do that to vindicate me because of their attack, or was it… the song?
We are sloppy with words. That is true. I’ve probably been most guilty of this in my responses. Hope you don’t think I’m trying to divide. I read all of your blogs and appreciate your depth of knowledge, sang all of your Vineyard songs… and love what you do. Keep sharing your heart.
Elman, all good. Mike, good thoughts.
“I Hate False Religion…” would be a good title edit, but then again, “True” and “False” mean many things to many people.
How about “I Hate What People Do With Religion, But I Love Jesus.”
Then again, “provocative” was his goal, and it won him 16 million views. Good on him.
Wow, 19 million views. I had no idea rap could be so popular. ’sarcasm intended
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I read something recently from an interview with church leaders including Mark Driscoll, Jack Graham and James McDonald and several others. The discussion is called “The Elephant Room” The discussion was about the future of denominations.
The comment was made, “We have to decide if we’re going to be Kingdom or empire builders. The elephant in the room is not denominations or networks. It’s leaderships. If leaders are good, the denomination is good. If bad, the denomination is bad. Don’t shoot at the framework.”
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think this is Dan’s argument or at least some of it. Even the religious system that was reponsible for killing Jesus was instituted by God himself. It’s what men did with it that made it bad.
16 million views. My error.
16 million views = an itch was scratched.
Clearly “religion” is an issue in the minds of many.
This would be a wonderful time, with so much attention, for Jeff to redefine it, nuance it, clarify it.
Religion as a system of supports for the perpetuating of faith is the good guy, the protagonist, the bridge to a Jesus worldview, in my story.
For others, it is the bad guy, the antagonist, a wall to a Jesus worldview.
I’m saying – “Change your bad guy to our human frailty as we use and abuse the tools in our hands. Redefine Religion.”
I’m tired of what my friend Jeremy calls the “constant need to ReBoot” – to hit delete on what was or is, demonize it in the process, and then re-invent the wheel over and over and over again.
Thank Dan for you clear and to the point message here. We can’t have one without the other and you do a perfect job of explaining why this true. I really enjoy you way of explaining it like being apart of a family. There are always ups and downs but you can’t change the fact they are your family. Great Job again your insight is always challenging and thoughtful
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