I first heard Macklemore's chart-topping tune "Thrift Shop" on a Friday night at Kid's Club from a seven year old's mouth. At the time, I had never heard the song before and knew only what this seven year old sang. "I've got twenty-dollars in my pocket. Is that your grandma's coat?" The lyrics sounded fairly innocent until one of my more pop culture savvy friends quickly gestured to me that this song is most definitely not appropriate. In the following weeks, I discovered just why. I heard more than one person sing it and I finally decided to look up the lyrics. I didn't get past the first verse. The outlandish amount of swearing throughout the song left me disgusted. Thrift Shop may be catchy, but it's also crude and another sad testament to this culture's view of "entertainment."
But this is actually not a post about Macklemore's "Thrift Shop;" it's about a parody of the song, rewritten to the same tune but with "Christian lyrics." The swearing's gone and now lyrics are more like "I've got twenty minutes till the service. Gonna tithe my ten percent." It makes fun of Christian cliches and particularly those at church. At a first listen, I thought it seemed funny, catchy and completely innocent. Yet as I thought more about it, I realized that it's more than just innocent fun.
It comes back to a post I wrote a few months ago, around Easter. It was called The Sacred Made Secular, and was about how our culture takes Christian holidays and tries to take Christ out of them. But I realized that secular culture isn't the only one who does this. Christians today try to do it too - except the opposite. And it's just as dangerous. They take the secular and try to make it Christian. They try to fit Christ into culture. They like the tune of an anti-Christian song and change the lyrics so it can be made Christian.
As Christians we are not called to conform to the culture but to stand against it. Christ did not try to fit Himself into the Jews' or the Romans' cookie cutter ideals, or to "adapt" their philosophies to put His words to their tune. We are called to be like Him, not the culture. The world should see a difference between "Thrift Shop" and Christianity.
"Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them." (Ephesians 5:4-11)
But this is actually not a post about Macklemore's "Thrift Shop;" it's about a parody of the song, rewritten to the same tune but with "Christian lyrics." The swearing's gone and now lyrics are more like "I've got twenty minutes till the service. Gonna tithe my ten percent." It makes fun of Christian cliches and particularly those at church. At a first listen, I thought it seemed funny, catchy and completely innocent. Yet as I thought more about it, I realized that it's more than just innocent fun.
It comes back to a post I wrote a few months ago, around Easter. It was called The Sacred Made Secular, and was about how our culture takes Christian holidays and tries to take Christ out of them. But I realized that secular culture isn't the only one who does this. Christians today try to do it too - except the opposite. And it's just as dangerous. They take the secular and try to make it Christian. They try to fit Christ into culture. They like the tune of an anti-Christian song and change the lyrics so it can be made Christian.
As Christians we are not called to conform to the culture but to stand against it. Christ did not try to fit Himself into the Jews' or the Romans' cookie cutter ideals, or to "adapt" their philosophies to put His words to their tune. We are called to be like Him, not the culture. The world should see a difference between "Thrift Shop" and Christianity.
"Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them." (Ephesians 5:4-11)