The Christianity of "Your Best Life Now"
Compare what this man is singing, on the one hand, and what he's showing, on the other hand.
What he's saying: "You're my alpha [and] omega, the reason for my living, the author of my faith."
What he's showing: designer clothes, fancy car, a yatch, expensive jewelry, fine wine... and most of all, himself. If you don't believe me, here's the video.
The Christianity of the Christ-life
This poem, "Has Thou No Scar?" by Amy Carmichael, is a meditation on the selfless life of Christ and what it means for believers. Carmichael, an evangelical missionary to orphans in India in the 1930s, wrote the poem after suffering a major injury that would leave her crippled for the rest of her life.
Hast
thou no scar?
No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand?
I hear thee sung as mighty in the land;
I hear them hail thy bright, ascendant star.
Hast thou no scar?
Hast thou no wound?
Yet I was wounded by the archers; spent,
Leaned Me against a tree to die; and rent
By ravening beasts that compassed Me, I swooned.
Hast thou no wound?
No wound? No scar?
Yet, as the Master shall the servant be,
And piercèd are the feet that follow Me.
But thine are whole; can he have followed far
Who hast no wound or scar?
No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand?
I hear thee sung as mighty in the land;
I hear them hail thy bright, ascendant star.
Hast thou no scar?
Hast thou no wound?
Yet I was wounded by the archers; spent,
Leaned Me against a tree to die; and rent
By ravening beasts that compassed Me, I swooned.
Hast thou no wound?
No wound? No scar?
Yet, as the Master shall the servant be,
And piercèd are the feet that follow Me.
But thine are whole; can he have followed far
Who hast no wound or scar?
So, Which One?
What do you think? Which of these two kinds of Christianity, which of these gospels...
... appeals to you?
... does your church subscribe to?
... is more faithful to Scripture?
... honors God more?, and
... meets the greater needs of others?
What do you think? Which of these two kinds of Christianity, which of these gospels...
... appeals to you?
... does your church subscribe to?
... is more faithful to Scripture?
... honors God more?, and
... meets the greater needs of others?
The artist might not have meant it but the music video was a lesson on irony.
ReplyDeleteYeah I get what you mean, and you may be right. What I didn't mention in the post was that the health and wealth gospel is prevalent in Africa, and this is a pretty good representation of that. Probably, the artist may really be sincere and unaware that he's misrepresenting the gospel. But because he took up the responsibility of representing Christ to the public, he's also responsible for communicating it correctly.
ReplyDelete