I like the cool kids.

One of the main focuses of this blog is wresting with ways to use art and design to engage culture for the glory of God. I was recently convicted by this post. Here is the part that got me.

…engaging culture does not mean that one must own a Mac, listen to Sufjan Stevens, Bob Dylan, and Bon Iver, watch CNN, listen contemplatively to NPR, drink local-brand coffee only, and cultivate stylish facial hair.

One may be engaging culture with these sorts of life choices. If so, terrific! But isn’t one also engaging culture, so to speak, by listening to Hank Williams, eating at Wendy’s (note: I do not encourage this), and seeking to witness at the local truck stop? Are these things not “culture” that we should engage? Or is “culture” only what is branded cool by the upwardly mobile? Though I like a lot of the stuff that this group likes, I confess that it drives me nuts to see otherwise thoughtful Christians think that they alone are “engaging culture” because their brand of “culture” happens to line up with the societal zeitgeist. That is just plain dumb.

When I read this it stops me in my tracks. I tend to like the cool kids. I like people who like what I like. I like people who have the same personality as me. I like people who fit into my mold. But I need to remember that Christ came for all, not just the cool kids. I may not understand certain parts of culture, but that does not mean I give up on them. When I do marketing I don’t only work on campaigns that fit into my mold, I work on anything. I research the target market, and then speak in terms they understand. So why don’t I do that when it comes to Christianity? Is this true in your life? If so, how can we learn to break down that barrier?

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