Step On Some Toes

by Devin Weening (singhislove.blogspot.com)

This past week, I came across an article that Dan Haseltine (of Jars of Clay) wrote for Relevant Magazine back in January, titled “Can Offensive Art be Christian?” In it, he tackles some pretty important questions:

Can a well-placed expletive positively stir the soul? If something is deemed inappropriate for children, should it not be sold through “Christian” distribution channels? Can Christian art impact us positively through things that offend us? Is the act of “offending” a counter-Gospel act?

Haseltine's answer to these questions rests on the observation that the Bible is overflowing with stories that offend modern sensibilities. During His brief earthly ministry, Jesus never shied away from doing or saying something out of fear of offending or undermining the dominant religious leaders & institutions. He dined with tax collectors, prostitutes, & “sinners”; He broke the Sabbath laws (or at least the popular interpretation of the Sabbath laws); He was, in Haseltine's words, the “rebel Jesus”. He didn't conform to our Sunday School images of a tame, gentle teacher, speaking softly & carrying a lamb in His arms wherever He went.

Yes, Jesus was a rebel; many of His words & actions were “offensive”. But - & here's the key, I think – He didn't offend for the sake of being offensive. Every word, every action, served a purpose. It's possible that, without offending anyone, without “upsetting the apple cart”, Jesus could have been a great teacher; but He could not have been a prophet, much less the Messiah. In order to fulfill the task for which His Father sent Him into the world, Jesus had to step on a few toes - & He had to do so with that elusive combination of authority & love we see in John 8:9-11.

Two of my favorite songwriters, David Bazan & Derek Webb, have first-hand experience with the Christian community's attitude toward offensive art. While still recording under the name Pedro the Lion (& shortly before he stopped considering himself a Christian), Bazan included the following verse in his song “Foregone Conclusions”:

You were too busy steering the conversation toward the Lord
To hear the voice of the Spirit begging you to shut the fuck up.
You thought it must be the devil trying to make you go astray;
Besides, it could not have been the Lord because you don't believe He talks that way.

Not surprisingly (& not without a dose of irony), many of his Christian fans didn't appreciate the profanity, & the album didn't follow his previous releases to the shelves at your local Christian bookstore. In Webb's case, his 2009 album Stockholm Syndrome made it to those shelves, but with one track missing: “What Matters More”, an impassioned plea for tolerance within the church. That song contains the following verse (inspired by this quote from Tony Campolo):

We can talk & debate until we're blue in the face
About the language & tradition that He's coming to save.
Meanwhile we sit just like we don't give a shit
About fifty thousand people who are dying today.

In both of these cases, the artists use profane language to make a rather forceful (& valid) point about the jumbled priorities they've observed among Christians. In this context, it is hard to imagine how either artist could have communicated their frustrations effectively without using such strong language.

As any first-year English student learns, one should only use a direct quotation when the original language is more clear, concise, or effective than a paraphrase or summary would be; I think the same general principle applies to the use of vulgarity or profanity within Christian art. If you can't make your point or convey your emotion without being offensive, then be offensive – as long as your goal isn't simply to offend. Keep I Peter 2:16 in mind: “Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil.”

As Christian artists, our first responsibility has to be the truth: even when the truth is messy, or dark, or “offensive”. But even when we must offend – for there will be times when the Sunday School version just doesn't reflect the whole story – we would do well to imitate Jesus' example of authority mixed with love.