05.27
Hip-hop is almost 40 years old. I’m surprised that in all this time, that there isn’t more of a relationship between hip-hop and the church. It seems like there are only a few handfuls of people that have bridged the gap. I wish there were more. I hope to help in this.
I mean, check out the videos below. Hip-hop is being used by car companies and kids shows. And I don’t think that it’s just in marketing. There’s gotta be an understanding that hip-hop is now weaved its place in pop culture. It’s now a part of everyday life. And people are living it out and living it out without God.
It wasn’t too long ago and rock & roll was rejected by the church and nowadays, you can hardly find one whose services don’t have drums or guitar or [in a Chuck D. voice] bass. I hope that we don’t take as long with hip-hop. There are too many souls at stake. Do I think that we need to accept and adopt everything about hip-hop? No. With every culture – and sub-culture – there are good things and bad things. We can keep the good things, but in getting rid of the bad things, we don’t have to lose the people with it.
God made a bridge to us through Jesus Christ. God gives that same bridge to those in the hip-hop community as well. I hope that more of us can help them see that bridge and cross it.
What I have found interesting as of late is how out of the spectrum of evangelicalism, how it seems that the reformed tradition seems to be picking up on hip-hop and seeing it’s place and use. Not just as a means to bridge non-believer’s but also a means to edify the church herself.
ie Here is a clip of shai linne at a Sovereign Grace conference. Look at the make-up of the audience.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvY49n3tMf4