Cheap Knockoffs & Artistic Lament
Several nights ago I watched a group of visiting high school students at our church's youth night lip sync and perform dance and drama to a dozen teen-oriented "contemporary" Christian songs.
Each time, song after song, cheesy reproductions of secular music were paired with ghastly, uncreative, untalented, shameless dance routines and pantomined scenarios.
The music was so trite, so shallow, and the messages so blatant, unsubtle and juvenile... my wife and I sat in our seats, uncomfortably waiting for the time to pass so we could leave and breathe some refreshing "secular" air.
The real tragedy of that evening was not the performances themselves - in fact, youth groups across America routinely perform these "Human Videos" at schools, churches, homeless shelters, senior centers... anywhere they're allowed. The REAL tragedy (and I say this emphatically) is that we have convinced these kids that this is EFFECTIVE ministry in our world. That this is reflective of the Kingdom of God...
...perhaps most detrimental: we've taught them that this is artistic expression. That corny lip sync has beauty.
Once again, the Church has made a pitiful carbon copy of the world, slapped a Christian label on it, and "called it good."
But it isn't good. It's lazy. In fact, MOST Christian-labeled arts and entertainment are just that: lazy.
Instead of making something new, something beautiful, transcendant, provocative and evocative and even (dare I say) sexy, we've sold ourselves short. We've sold our kids short. We've sold the Kingdom of God short.
There were a bunch of very chubby high schoolers up on stage, dancing around, trying to catch their breath between songs. I felt no sick humor in watching the spectacle. I only wanted to slap the parents and youth directors who allowed them to make fools of themselves on stage with reassurances and false encouragment.
Kingdom: can we get to a point in Christian art where realistic criticism and honest opinion can be tolerated and welcomed in love? We shouldn't have to humilate these kids and justify it by saying that love allows them to do what's in their hearts.
That's not art. That's enabling!
I really sound like an asshole in this post, I know... I feel really badly for the kids. I'm in no way trying to mock them or show distrespect toward them, but I hate this little microcosm they're growing up in. Youth ministry in America is in such dire need of radical change...
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7 comments:
I think maybe you're jealous? Or maybe you don't appreciate what others do for the Lord (whether it's corny or not)...
Interesting. I've not had that posed before.
I don't think I'm jealous, though it's a fair answer. Arrogant? Maybe? Judgmental? Yes, I probably have to confess to that.
Hey Pete,
It's boyhood friend Tyler here...
Initially I can understand how it is tempting to say "Oh no! He's bashing the human video!", but while I would hesitate to say that human videos are useless(especially on missions trips where language barriers are an issue) I also agree that they are overdone, often not great at creating a real connection between spiritual and the real and really just a bad attempt at copying the secular world.
I also have to admit though that I am still amused by them(they are often a nice break in a service to stop thinking and zone)...and occassionally impressed by the rare good one.
Hope all is well. We should do coffee sometime if you are still commuting up here...
Tyler
I hate to sound rude, but since when do you have the authority to say when something is an effective ministry. An effective ministry is one that is able to win souls to Christ or to help the needy. My youth group does Human Videos and they have been a very EFFECTIVE ministry by my definition above. For you to say its not would be saying that God doesn't have the ability to work through these and my Bible tells me that all Things are possible with Christ.
I have seen God work through ministries such as a puppet team to win souls. Actually a puppet team I used to be on performed for a VBS and we had a parent get saved. God is able to work through anything and for you to say he can't is wrong.
My youth group prays before every rehearsal and performance of these skits that God will anoint the skit and work through them to convict their hearts. It doesn't matter what type of ministry it is, it depends on the hearts of those people working in the ministry and whether or not they stay humble before God and allow Him to work through them!!!
Andrew,
I understand how offensive this particular post is to a lot of Christians - particularly those in youth ministry.
I agree with you - some people are touched and even moved by human videos. Just like some people are moved by hellfire and brimstone sermons or angry street preachers calling damnation.
My point is, that those who would be affected by something like "Human Videos" would no-doubt be moved by real, genuine art (as opposed to lip-sync mimicry).
And let me also make an aside - I have seen human video done at a near-professional level that was quite amazing. The dance and movement choreography were unbelievable!
But I have never seen that quality at the local level. What I see are a bunch of high schoolers tripping and falling all over each other.
This isn't glorifying to God, even if someone is emotionally "touched," because it isn't our "best." God deserves our best - not re-creations of already canned Christian-pop.
I sound very ungenerous in all of this discussion, and I hate the way I'm portraying myself here. I guess there is a very intolerant place in me for bad Christian art. However wrong my communication of this disdain (and it probably is) it's coming from this place: God deserves better.
God deserves better.
Let's not point fingers. Be productive! What could make the Human videos better @ a local level? Possibly the characters really singing. What r your ideas?
Defintely! If the students actually sang that would be a step away from the "canned" karaoke-type entertainment that may be fun but isn't really "art" either.
What about real instruments instead of pre-recorded music? I know that's harder, but it would make a world of difference.
What about original music instead playing something from the radio? There are songwriters hidden in our church pews, and if there aren't, we - the church - should be encouraging the development of artists.
And we should also be willing to tell people "no" when they want to perform in an area they are not gifted in. Sound harsh? We talk about spiritual giftings all the time. If we acknowledge that God has given different gifts to different people, we must have the courage to urge those people into areas they are needed and useful, not just areas their whims or fancies lead.
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