In case you missed it, Sam Smith and Kim Petras delivered a fiery, hell-themed performance of their song “Unholy” at the Grammys.
It featured Sam in a latex outfit and a devil-horned top hat before Kim made her entrance in a cage surrounded by three she-devils. The reactions were predictable. Mainstream media praised the display, while conservatives and Christian talking heads called it disgusting.
Yawn…
Secular artists are making a sport out of riling up conservative Christians. They create ideology-steeped shock art and then chuckle while the Tucker Carlsons of the world, all red-faced and foaming at the mouth, clutch for superlatives to express their horror.
The whole thing isn’t worth too much attention, but there is something else that annoys me. When Lil Nas X combines satanic and homo-erotic imagery in a music video, he’s not just called edgy or provocative - he’s called a hero, a brave rebel standing up against “the man.”
This is nonsense. He’s not a hero - he’s preaching to the choir. There’s nothing subversive or courageous about him, Sam Smith, or any LGBT-affirming artist. They are in complete lockstep with what culture already celebrates. It’s like being pro-skinny jeans in 2012.
What they are doing is about as mainstream as it gets. Want to do something courageous, Sam Smith? Criticize Saudi Arabia for executing homosexuals in accordance with their Islamic beliefs. Hey Lil Nas X, how about you stand up for biblical values in one of your songs?
Now that would take courage.
Following Jesus is not mainstream, and I think we need to reclaim the mindset of rebels. This is our natural place. This is who Jesus was. To be clear, Jesus’ rebellion was marked by radical love and mercy, self-sacrifice, and devotion to the truth at all costs.
We are not called to chest-puffing or self-righteous arrogance - but make no mistake, following Jesus today will cost you, and to do it right will require great courage.
I have experienced significant opposition for sharing my faith in public, including being the subject of millions of angry, condemning tweets for preaching the Gospel in secular venues in Brazil, as well as being called an infidel and having rocks thrown at me in Southeastern Turkey.
It will likely look different for you - but whatever the scenario, it won’t be easy. Take a stand for Jesus at work, school, or in your neighborhood, and you will soon feel the force of standing against the tides of our culture. But do it anyway, because our cause is critical, and the needs are all too real. We have got to remember who we are.
We are the rebels.
Want to watch the full conversation? Check out Is Sam Smith the Devil? Is Mr. Beast the Anti-Christ?
