Since I've been in kind of a funk recently, I've been listening to Christian radio a decent bit lately in hopes of lifting my mood a bit. I know just listening to music can't change everything, but my state of mind could at least improve more than if I'm listening to my other choices in music. Now, I know I've probably been on this rant before, but I'm going to do it again. I think it's all fine and dandy that Christian radio is "family-friendly"...it's nice that part of today's world considers that using a filter once in a while isn't an awful idea. However, the problem I always encounter is that "family-friendly" seems to equate to being focused only on the "ideal" definition of family. That being, a suburban family with a mother, father, children, and probably enrollment in a private school. Where do I get this impression? Well, let me just tell ya...
The station I listen to has daily segments where they have parents call in and let their kids talk while on the way to school...either it's kids telling jokes or some other stuff, I usually leave the room because, honestly, I listen to the radio for the music. If I want to hear segments of kids telling jokes, I'll watch Disney or something. Anyway, this is probably a huge generalization, but from the sound of the daily call-ins, it's almost always a white kid calling from the back seat of mommy's car on the way to school. What ever happened to the school bus or carpooling? It always sounds like a single kid is in the car w/ the mom, never the dad. I also get the impression they're usually suburban nuclear families...anyway, that's good, but what about the huge percentage of the population who don't fit into this little perfect box of what we consider a legitimate family?
The problem I have had with Christian radio over and over again is the fact that unmarried adults (post-college) are almost NEVER represented. Occasionally, single parents do get some notice (usually in the form of pity, not genuine support though), but those who never married or had kids, we kind of don't exist. I often get the impression that the Western Christian way of life doesn't have room for individuals who aren't married by their mid-20s, much less by 30. Again, I have ranted about this time and again, so I'm trying not to be too negative right now. However, I find it difficult to listen to these radio stations, to read casual Christian articles, etc. because of the overwhelming impression that I, as an unmarried 30-year-old, have no place. Yes, it's great to provide family-friendly events and music, but by focusing so much on a specific idea of "family," Christians often isolate and exclude a lot of people. What about those who don't (or can't) have children? What about those who are single?
By listening to the morning segments I hear each day, I get the impression that to fit in modern Southern Christian society, I've got to have a stick-figure family on the back of my car showing that my life is complete with my stick husband, stick kids, and stick dog... People often wonder why Christians get such a bad name. Well, as a Christian who doesn't fit the ideal Southern Western Christian mold, I can tell you why. It's because, as a whole, our small portion of Christian culture has created it's own idea of what it is to be "wholesome" and "Christian," and rather than live an overall life of love, we focus so much on achieving the image presented to us by the mass marketing of Western Christianity.
Western Christianity often forgets that Jesus ate with sinners, not because he thought he was better than them but because he simply cared to spend time with them in their brokenness. Western Christianity often ignores that He turned water into actual wine. It often forgets that He walked the hard road alongside those who suffered and were outcast. He didn't fit a perfect mold, nor did many of His followers. So, I will never understand what gives so many Western Christians the idea that we are too good to walk the hard road... that we are too good to spend time GENUINELY caring about those who are different from us, who don't fit the ideal mold. We all live lives of sin; not one of us is above failure, mistakes, or imperfection. No sin is greater than the other, and by isolating other people or treating them differently, we are expressing that our sin isn't as bad as theirs.
Ok, this rant kind of turned into something different than I originally planned... before I go off and start offending people, I will stop. Happy Friday.
No comments:
Post a Comment