Not Christian Enough

I remember a Wednesday night at youth group in junior high where we were discussing christian music. I don't remember the point of the dialogue but I remember All Star United's Saviour of My Universe was played and we were asked if it was a christian song or not. I, being an All Star United fan, said yes and that was correct. But the leader in charge said that although that song was clearly about Jesus that the self-tited debut from All Star United wasn't overtly christian. At the time I thought that statement was ridiculous and thinking back on it this morning I'm a little perplexed by that statement. The lyrics on the first All Star United record are pretty christian. They're not worship lyrics but it's clearly a christian album.

So that gets my brain thinking this morning. Why I go back to that moment in time I have no clue but I did and now I'm here. So why is there a need to qualify things as not christian enough? I guess this idea is probably most tagged to music but I'm guessing books and people get thrown into being not christian enough too.

CS Lewis said we don't need christians writing about christian stuff, we need christians writing about everything. And I believe it's true. I don't know how much the JPM scale stands today (Jesus per minute) but it used to be something music was judged by. Songs about love (with a girl/guy), struggle, politics, etc we're looked down upon. Art was censored for not being christian enough. Delirious got banned from certain christian book stores for using hell in a song. There's a difference in question the heart behind something and deeming it not christian.

Andrew Schwab posed the question this week what is Christian music. My initial answer to this question was to say music that is written to bring glory to God is what qualifies has christian. If the intent is to bring God glory then it's christian music. But I'm rethinking this. Part of me would say that Christian music is music made by christians. I don't think content can define music as christian. Am I christian blogger or a blogger that's a christian? It's a stupid question because those things are the same. Why do bands define themselves as christians in a band? Because they want the music to stand for itself and not have their music judged based on their beliefs.