Why I Stopped Hating Christian Music

So imagine trying to write music that is theologically orthodox, positively uplifting, not to mention musically awesome … all for people whom you know might rip you to shreds if you mess any one of those up.  

If you are orthodox but lack coolness, younger Christians will mock you mercilessly for being out of touch.  

If you are cool but your lyrics are theologically not sharp enough, older believers will lay into you.  

If you don’t blend these dynamics to perfection, then hypercritical people like me write stupid blog posts about it.  

And all the while, unfettered non-Christian artists laugh and laugh as you labor under a sodden wet blanket of unrealistic expectations.

*shudder*

When you consider all of these factors, it’s no wonder that Christian music sounds like it does, trying for so many things, and falling short.

And so, I’ve resolved not to be so critical of Christian artists anymore. In fact, I would take it a step further and say that I have to repent for my judgmentalism, and perhaps more than a few of us need to confess that we have been unduly critical of Christian music.  

Christian artists already find themselves in a difficult position, and it’s a shame that their position should be made any harder by their own brothers and sisters in faith being overly critical and mean spirited, especially when I doubt that many of us could come even close to doing any better. So even though I don’t really enjoy it, I will continue to listen to CCM in the car. I may not enjoy the songs, but I do appreciate what they are trying to achieve, and respect the artists who create them, and that’s no small thing.

Plus, it’s not like the music on the other stations is anything to write home about either. “Cuz baby you’re a firework! Come on show ‘em what you’re worth … ”