Focus: Creator or Creative?

Words are powerful. Words can build or destroy, edify or perplex, rebuke or advocate. So why am I talking about words? Because words shaped the world and can also shape our worldview. The correct question then is, “Whose words are we focusing on? The Creator’s or the creative’s?”

To make things clear, the creatives I’m referring to are CHH artists.

Shift of Focus

Lately, I’ve noticed how fans of CHH have been having debates about their favourite artist’s music, most of which have been in the circles of die hard Reach Records fans. These debates became even more heated after Reach Records changed their mission statement on the About page of their website. Impressively though, a comment by Robyn Simmons on the same article summarised a lot of peoples’ views/concerns in the following words:

Are conversations like this simply a distraction set up by the enemy to distract God’s people and turn us against one another. I have my own opinions about this, but my opinion is less important than what the downfall of Reach Records and all of its artists would mean for you and me. If every single Christian artist fell off and turned away, what would that do to your Christianity? Where would that leave you? Is this thing we are engaged in about the these men or about THE MAN? At the end of the day this conversation doesn’t/shouldn’t establish Christ more or less firmly in your heart and life. Yes we should be aware of where those who take up the mantle of representing Christ stand. However, I just challenge all of us to remember that we are not to live this life based on the condition of another man’s heart. Seek God for yourself, so that when a brother falls off you are strong enough to be sustained in Christ by Christ, and so, that in being devoted to any man other than Christ you don’t follow him or her right out of the Will of God.

Shai Linne recently released his album Still Jesus, which has fueled the debate even further— especially with track 1, Random Thoughts 3. My take from the track is that Shai is talking about the current state of CHH and how it has changed as sub-genre to something less Christocentric. However, from the following lines, people have concluded different:

Trip asked me if I was still motivated
I was quiet, but I wanted to say “No, I hate it”
Because brothers in your camp causing lots of confusion
I love them as brothers in Christ, but not their conclusions

But if artists can voice their social and political views, why is it a problem when they voice their religious/spiritual concerns? Why is it okay for Shai to say “Jesus trumps the president” but a problem for him to say what has been quoted above? The debates from that particular line — and others — shows how some Christians are now focusing on the artists and not the reason why (some of) the artists create the art: God.

Words shaped the world and can also shape our worldview.

Ruslan also got into the debate and his response to Shai’s track, in my opinion, has only made things shakier as it doesn’t sound like one made to rebuke, but to shoot down. However, those are my two cents; your opinion is highly likely to be different from mine. You can listen to Ruslan’s response below.

Now, I’m not trying to be divisive; I’m trying to show you how our focus has shifted. A close friend of mine had this to say about Ruslan’s response:

Ruslan says Shai’s out of touch with the youths. Now, coming from a fan who listened to hip hop in the Cross Movement days and the Dream Junkie days, clearly (from a content point of view), there’s been more focus on man than God.

So, really, what are we focusing on?

Realigning Our Focus

What the artists say is not the absolute truth and is bound to be influenced by their life experiences and worldviews. Sometimes, the artists simply use music to voice their concerns. After all, didn’t Hip-Hop start as a way to express one’s views? It is up to us to be like the Bereans and scrutinise and test everything with Scripture (Acts 17:10–11). It is also up to us to shape a biblical worldview by regularly reading from the Scriptures.

Additionally, we must be careful in our debates not to be divisive but to do everything out of love. Don’t get it twisted, rebuking — and being rebuked — is often unpleasant (Proverbs 27:5–6). We have been given a few guidelines in the Bible with how to go about this, some of which are highlighted below.

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be shamed, rightly handling the word of truth. But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene.
2 Timothy 2:15–17

Have nothing to do with foolishness, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.
2 Timothy 2:23–26

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16–17

All in all, my prayer is that we all examine our hearts and realign our focus, doing everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Colossians 3:17). If you’re an artist and you’re reading this, remember: whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).