The crucible of life always requires response. Sometimes our responses validate or represent God, and other times they do not. But whatever our situation, there is always the response. For those who are oppressed, the responses are more limited because of reduced resources or fear of retribution. For those who suffer from disease, the response can be either God-honoring or not so God-honoring.
When I look at the birth of Hip Hop, I see a response to life in the Bronx in the 1970's. The response was born out of destroyed neighborhoods, a destroyed infrastructure, and fear. Fear for the long term well-being of the family but also the well-being of myself...NOW. Hip Hop's inception was a response to the desire to avoid violence in the Bronx and take the street competition from the "rumble" the dance floor. The Bronx Crucible demanded the response of Hip Hop.
Only God's timing and hand will determine whether the Hip Hop response to the 1970's Bronx crucible will honor God or not. But as we watch God's plan unfold, should we simply sit and watch or engage in the discussion? do we leave the Hip Hop discussion to the secular world? What will our response be? As I ask the question, I also wonder what my children and their children will see in our response. Will our response to Hip Hop honor God or not? Some things of God are difficult to understand, but I am sure that God does not sit on the sidelines and turn a deaf ear. God is engaged, because redemption is real.
Let us be a people of redemption who aren't afraid to engage Hip Hop. And may our response honor God.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
As I listen to this comment I can't help but wonder what is God actually doing? I believe God is acting even in the midst of what we might consider to be strange doctrine: Hip Hop. God has an awesome way of working in order to procalim the message that is set before us. If those who are suppose to carry out the message dont and they are scared then God will raise up a nation of people that will fulfill the mission. We shouldve always try to figure God out because when we try to figure God out, God has a way of complicating us again. Stop trying to figure out how God works and be glad and embrace that fact that God is real in all of us; even in the strange doctrine of what we call Hip Hop.
ReplyDelete