“The Gospel and Rap:” A Graceful Response To “Holy Hip Hop”

Yesterday, as I was writing articles in preparation for my upcoming book, I saw a flurry of messages via social media in regards to a panel discussion on Christian Hip-Hop by the National Center for Family-Integrated Churches. At first I paid no attention to the panel, but as a few tweets turned into a barrage I could not resist it any longer. 

After I listened to the panel, my heart immediately turned to anger and hurt. I was so enraged that anyone could rightfully condemn Christian rap music- a beautiful medium of the gospel which has saved the souls and changed the lives of so many. Then, as time went on, I no longer felt anger but compassion. I felt grieved that some people were misinformed and had a misunderstanding of rap, culture, and the Christian life, which caused them to not embrace the beautiful cultural diversity of the body of Christ. 

I have written this article as a humble response to this discussion and the panelists. My hope is that my tone throughout is one of grace and truth. Also, I have sent this article along with an invitation to speak via phone to all the men who were present in this panel. My prayer is that we all can come to a Christ-honoring view of culture, rap music, and the Gospel so that we can further see the grace of Jesus reach our lost and dying world.

Read the rest here