The Christian and the Secular

Recently, there has been a clash of opinions regarding secular music and the altar. I have read a number of views and but none seems to strike a chord with me. I do certainly agree with some of the points made, but when the person in question (subject of consideration) or the scope of operation (occupation) changes, the points can no longer hold. I realized that the definitions we have are smudged. There is virtually no distinction. This argument spans beyond music. It reaches far into other professions. I hope that this piece will iron out the overlaps and wrinkles that have already spread. I will not necessarily provide an absolute answer, but I hope to bring us to the place where the answer to all these stares us right in the face.

Of all the views I have heard, these extremes stand out:

1. No secular music should be done in the church
2. No Christian artiste should perform secular music

Before I can pass a comment on either of the two. We ought to go over our definitions and the standards with which we would proffer a solution to the problem at hand.

Definition of Christian

Basically, a Christian is one who believes in and professes Christ. He believes that the Son of God was manifested in the flesh to redeem man and restore ‘all of creation’ to God. It is necessary to note that the redemptive work of Christ is not just for man but for all creation which includes music, arts, science, economy, culture and so on. However, it begins from man. Only when we understand this can we truly understand the place of a Christian in the secular world. Many claim Christianity and do not hold these beliefs. A few more hold this beliefs but only as a mental and theoretical notion, not a tenet for life. These ones profess Christianity but have not grown to a point where they see how man is the center of the redemption of all creation. Mark 16:15 speaks about preaching every creature (not just men)!

"That the redemptive work of Christ is not just for man but for all creation"

Christians are not just those saved by the Lord, they are the seeds that grow and spread to ensure that the rest of creation is redeemed. It is easy to fall into extremes here. A Christian who has not grown to understand the relationship between the Christian and the secular world will either rule out the participation of the Christian totally or rush into it too early and be submerged. Those who rule it out totally will say “Christians should not do secular music or work in a brewery etc.” And rush into it too early will say “it doesn't matter where you work.” The truth is we ought to be in the secular world, but not casually. It is a work for ‘elite forces.’ It is a task that requires special training and unless we are deployed by instruction, we maintain positions. Our mission is to redeem this aspects of life not just to be part of it casually.

Christian and the secular world will either rule out the participation of the Christian totally or rush into it too early and be submerged

How then do we redeem? That brings us to the place of the Church.

Definition of Church

It would have been easy to say church is where Christians gather. But without the epistle above, it would be difficult to answer why. Definition of Church will be dependent on the discourse. Church is the nursery where apostles to the secular word are first raised before being deployed. Church, with reference to the secular world and the redemption of all of creation, is a training ground. But basically, Church is the community of Christians all over the world and across all dispensations.

It would be worthy of note that the physical church we see is not homogeneous. It comprises Christians as well as non-Christians. Some are saved while others are yet to be. It comprises people growing at different rates. At the same time, we must not shy away from the fact that it also comprises of rebels and multitudes who always clamor for “pleasure.” This heterogeneity has made the boundary lines fade out, nonetheless, they are there. It is also worthy of note that a lot more activities are done in church than discipling and training people to conform to Christ’s image. It would be safe to say that at times when anything else is done (even in the same venue, by the same people for the same people), the same gathering we can call church will not be worthy of that name.

At times when anything else is done, the same gathering we can call church will not be worthy of that name.

In as much as the Church is a training ground. It is a training ground for all. There, we are groomed to grow into the image of Christ. There we are trained to efficiently and effectively execute our redeeming all creation mandate without being a casualty in the system. In Church (in Christ), we find purpose and are trained to fulfil it. Primarily, purpose should be becoming like Christ in character and in deeds. Secondarily, purpose should comprise the area to which we would be deployed after training. This could be entertainment, commerce,  education, science, technology  and research, politics and government, military, fashion, health, family or religion (which we popularly call ministry).

We must realize that none is inferior to the other. Being sent to the academic world doesn't make me less fulfilled than a pastor. Being sent to the entertainment industry also does not imply that my training in the church would be less tedious and maybe unnecessary. All that are foreknown are predestined to be conformed into the image of Christ (Rom 8:30). Even the eventual governor or entertainer is meant to be conformed into the image of Christ and nothing less. It is Christ alone who has the capability and audacity to redeem all of creation. If we do not attain this height or at least be on this path by virtue of our training in church, we cannot effect change or bring redemption to whatever sector we are deployed to. Without maturity, we will only be one of them, we cannot be one among them.

Without maturity, we will only be one of them, we cannot be one among them.

Ministry is not the Climax of Christianity

Many people have got this notion, even church leaders. That is why every Christian in the secular wants to retire to the pulpit so that they would have pleased God in their life. That is why Christians in music wants to stand on the pulpit. The Climax of Christianity is Christ-likeness. God called Jesus 'beloved son in whom he was well pleased.' This is the testimony we get when we are conformed into the image of Christ. We ought to stop using the pulpit as a reward for success in the secular world. The pulpit is meant to aid this transformation and nothing more. 

Definition of Secular and Definition of Ministry

Ministry is not about being a pastor and a preacher. Ministry is simply your place of deployment by purpose. If by purpose, God would have you be an entertainer, ministry for you would be not just to one of Nigeria’s entertainers but to be one among them. There are several platforms for ministry (media and entertainment, education, politics and government, commerce, military, fashion, family and health and religion) only one is religious-Religion. Every other platform for ministry is secular. My definition of secular is “non-religious.”

Secular simply means 'non-religious.'

One cause of intimidation and segregation is that those in the secular do not understand the gravity, value, worth and delicateness of what is committed into their hands. They envy the man in on the pulpit. They think only those on the pulpit please God. This is difficult for the Christian called to the secular. He feels until He stands before the altar, he is not fulfilled. God didn’t say we will stand before the brethren, He said we will stand before kings.

This spans beyond intimidation and insecurity. The man who is supposed to thrust into the secular world now thinks it is not spiritual to have a song without Jesus or a jewelry without a cross. In doing this, He makes a compromise between the gospel and a great entertainment song. Eventually, we have a mediocre song and a mediocre gospel. This is not entirely the blame of the artiste, it is also the blame of the ‘church’ for not teaching the artiste to go all out while the nature of Christ is intact.

Analogy of the University

The Church is like a university. The only difference is that no one graduates really. Every Christian is enrolled and at a safe point of the training, each one is deployed to various sectors of the community. However, some are retained to continue the work of training others. That is what religion is to the secular. Religion is the school where we all learn to live as Christ in the secular world. The five-fold ministry equips the Saints for the work of ministry. Five-fold ministry is not all there is about ministry. It is just one among the many platforms for ministry. The Secular world forms the larger chunk of 'true ministry.' Church is, however, the assembly plant, Potter's wheel, the forging furnace for Christians who will transform the world. 

The Analogy of the Book of Esther

The book of Esther is one book of the scripture without the mention of God. However, you will agree with me that every page and verse of that book bears the signature of God. That our company is branded with Christian terminologies does not imply it is fulfilling the redemption mandate in the secular world. That the we call Lord,  Lord doesn't guarantee anything either. The book of Esther tells the story of  a Jewish family in Babylon. I personally believe that is the model for living in a secular world-class. We can live and fulfill ministry without 'christianizing' the procedure. We need not blind people with the light of the gospel. We only need enough to illuminate the path so that they eventually find God.

Noah,  Joseph, Daniel

These names are not those of priests. They are the people of God planted in specific areas of the society. In contemporary terms, priests will be those in 'religion' while Noah, Joseph and Daniel would be those in the secular. Joseph had grown in the knowledge of God before he was planted in Egypt. He transformed agriculture by the wisdom of God.  Noah had a testimony that he was righteous in his generation. Then, God used him to preserve humanity from total extinction. Daniel was on government. One common denominator with all three and every of such persons in scripture - they did not get into the Secular world casually. They had a testimony. They had grown in faith. 

Finally, regarding Christians and the secular world, there is a purpose for every aspect of society. The convention is that Christians live within the walls of the church. They provide their own education, define their own fashion, create their own government, provide their own entertainment and so on. The result is that we the church creates a system within itself that already exists outside the church walls. This unfortunately is a distraction and can suppress the intended purpose of religion. These systems are made to survive in the secular domain not within the church walls. Bringing them in is extra and unnecessary load. Moreover, Christians meant to champion the redemption of these systems are handicapped in the church or alienated in the world without backup.

Another impact is that, the secular system continues to sink into worldliness and sensuality. Corruption becomes the order of the day because the redeemers are locked up within the church walls. Pollution of secular music has caused Christians to hide in the church and even demand to be entertained there. That is not the way it is meant to be. We are to be entertained by the entertainment industry; Educated by the schools; cloths by the fashion industry; but transformed by the church.

Here, I find it a safe spot to differentiate between secular and immoral. From this piece so far, we know that secular simply means “not religious.” I define immoral as diminishing standards for life such that the value of life is lost and the purpose of life is ignored. A whole new argument can ensue from the inability to differentiate between secular and immoral. There is nothing wrong with secular. Secular is simply a non-religious platform. But everything is wrong about immoral. Immoral is a platform that cannot hold anything without contaminating its content. Secular becomes immoral when Christians abandon or neglect their position and authority in the secular world.

Secular becomes immoral when Christians neglect their position and authority there.

The Christian in the Secular World

If you have followed carefully, you will realize that a Christian can do secular songs. You will realize that Christians can do secular jobs. You will even understand that God can have us be ambassadors to particular secular sectors of the society. The golden question then is “What then will set apart the Christian in the secular world?” "How can we identify Christians in the secular world?" 

We do not identify Christians in the secular by opening prayers at their AGM's or the company named after a biblical character or location. Secular songs written by Christian should be identified by the desires we have after listening, the depth of the lyrics, the philosophy it projects, and the creativity put into it not by successive insertions of Christian terminology. We know it by its fruits. We know it by the principles and policies implemented. We identify it by the source of the ideas and motivation for success. God inspires. The Holy Spirit, scriptures say, will teach us all things including strategy for doing our regular secular work. 

Creativity and Innovation

The Christian who has been trained and deployed into any sector, including secular, will have a brighter mind. An intelligence measurable to that of the original Adam that named all the animals with precision. Such a person will be endowed with the spirit of wisdom and revelation to be efficient in his craft (Arts and Craft - Exodus 28:3; 31:3; 35:31, Leadership and Government – Deuteronomy 34:9; Judges 2:18; Science and Research - Daniel 5:11; Ministry - Luke 2:40). We can also make references to the anointing.

Creativity will mean that one will operating at a higher efficiency than one you gained as a result of formal training. Doctors will be able to improvise procedures that will work perfectly when they have exhausted those they learnt while training. Programmers will be able to proffer more efficient solutions and open up a whole new world of learning.

Sanity and Modesty.

Within the church walls, we might call it righteousness and holiness. However, in the secular domain where they do not use the religious terms, we call it sanity and modesty. The entertainment industry is almost entirely built out of sensuality and greed. The worth of the woman is trampled upon just so that another person’s desire is gratified. When a Christian steps into such a world, he delivers intelligent entertainment. He respects human dignity and doesn’t make a joke and earn a living out of the misfortune of others.

I bet several people are wondering how the music industry can survive without sensuality. I have met with a couple of musicians who are already tired of the mess and noise over the media. Pure music itself has a soothing effect. How much more with intelligently coined lyrics? Sensuality only tickles a small portion of our brain. Beauty, glamour, ambience, music and creativity goes far deeper, lasts much longer and leaves us even better.

Hope and Peace.

This is one important element that the work of a Christian in the secular will hold. Hope is an integral part of Christianity. Irrespective of the sector of the society one finds himself, it should never be lost. Anxiety should not be a part of the life of a Christian. Desperation is the result of a life without hope. Anxiety is the disposition of a life without peace. Even when obviously your profession writes of certain cases as hopeless, The Christian‘s hope is Christ not in the circumstances he faces. That ought to be practical.

My answer to the question

Having understood who a Christian is, what the real church is and what obtains, the definition of secular and ministry and place of a Christian in the secular. I can conveniently answer the question with sufficient reasons.

Can secular songs be done in church? Can comedians perform in church? Should politicians campaign in church? NO. However, if you agree that it is not a ‘church’ gathering, that is, there is no intention to worship, teach and train men towards conformity to Christ, you may sing secular songs, invite comedians to entertain, call politicians to give a political address and so on. Religion is a sector of the society. It is the ministry assigned to certain people just as comedians, politicians, doctors have their jurisdictions. Each sector holds exclusivity and no one should dabble into the affairs of the other. However, if they want to edify the body of Christ they may. At that moment, they are not comedians or musicians, they are ministers who want to exhort the people, whose aim is that Christ be formed in you.

Can Christians do secular songs? Can Christian architects construct mosques? YES. However, such songs will be characterized by sanity, modesty, creativity and hope. Such projects will be an architectural masterpiece that always makes reference to the architect or hold coded or hidden messages that redirect the admirers to the origin of the concept which is primarily God.

This is rather a long read, but I am sure it was worth it. Asides, the yes and no we have been able to establish why and why not. The fact that things happen does not mean it is right. The fact that we do not see something happening yet does not imply impossibility. Our task is to know what is right and do what we ought.

The fact that we do not see something happening yet does not imply impossibility.

Pain or Passion

As we walk through life, we get punctured and ruptured by many occurrences. Things happen. We get hurt, our toes get crushed, our hands get bruised and yet, we have to move on. Whether we are healed or not, life goes on. Sooner or later, we have to walk with or without our hurting feet. We would have to give a handshake whether or not that palm is still aches.

But here is the truth. We would walk more uprightly without those wounds. Without being healed, we have to limp. Walking normally causes us so much pain. We have to use aids. Without being healed, we speak more harshly. We hold back our hand of fellowship because we have a wound we are nursing. We hold back our embrace because we are bruised and not want to poke the injury. And whenever we do speak, walk, or embrace, we remember our pains and channel all our strength to making sure we feel better.

Nursing wounds have a great impact on our life and ministry. We may think we are preaching out of passion, not knowing we are actually preaching out of pain. Our words can hold so much emotions but alas they are void of purpose. This is where the danger lies-when we are not healed and we proceed to do the work of the ministry, lend a hand or offer an advice,  we think our words with hurt and glaze our deeds with pain. 

Even from God's own dealings, we must be completely healed. Otherwise, we would place too much emphases on ourselves and in our experiences than in the ministry God committed into our hands. Healed people are changed people. They do not speak in hurt and anger. They speak with wholeness propagating the love of God rather than the dread and terror of His presence.

One way to be healed from God's chastisement is to complete our training. People who are half baked like Ephraim (tribe not individual) always hold resentment against God (Hosea 7:8-16). Hebrews 12:11 teaches us that training benefits those who complete the syllabus. God's training is complete. The last few classes always focuses on healing, recovery (Hosea 6:1-2). If we leave halfway, we may know the same exact things the others know, but we caress our scars each time we stand to proclaim truth.

Most of the dangerous and doctrinally inaccurate advices are from people who have not been healed. They speak from their point of pain rather than place of passion. They give personal opinion rather than the counsel of God. Many people give marital advices based on abusive relationships. They give business counsel out of their bitter experiences. They define men based on their terrible past. They define national unity based on cultural and historic enmity between ethnic groups. This is dangerous and has ripple effect on our family, work and offspring.

Moses, at the closure of His ministry, was faced with so much opposition that he was grieved. The ones on whose behalf He had offered up his precious years spoke against him. He sought God and God gave him instructions to follow. However, he 'obeyed' out of pain and frustration. It cost him much.

When we have anything against our brother and our service to God or ministry to the people is pending, we should first ask to be healed so that we do not act out of pain. Purpose and passion should be our driving force not pain. Many people out of hurt and pain develop rules and regulations for their ministry to prevent further intimidation and plundering from their ministry. Some go as far as coining out doctrines to keep safe distance. This is all out of pain not necessarily purpose.

Even in sharing and preaching the word, we often search points and reasons to negate a brother's point of view. Perhaps this same brother has negated one of our cherished points earlier. We study hard, search wide but all in a plot to rise from where we have fallen. Though unsuspecting observers learn and add more knowledge, those in the forefront are driven by pain and not passion.

What's your drive to be successful? What's your  motivation for desiring wealth? Are you bitter that being poor has taken a better part of your life? Are you motivated by pain of the hunger from the past? Are you afraid that the cold and heat from lack of shelter in the past will again catch up with you? Or you genuinely want to explore your creativity and solve people's problems?  The truth is this pains will take you to any height that you allow it to, but it will never ease the pain. Like drug to the abused, success will be an addiction. The more you have, the more you want to get. Only healing can purify our intentions,  live passionately and make us content and enjoy what we gain from life.

Help us, oh Lord and heal us
That we do not take pain for passion
That we do not take hurt for depth
That we do not take wounds for experience
That we do not take scars for medals
That we do not take aches for age
That we do not take tears for persecution

Help us, oh Lord, and heal us
That we can truly minister unto you
That we can accurately bear the message
That we do not incite but rather inspire
That our success isn't a strategy to revenge
That our victory is not to prove ourselves right
That our motivation to speak is not because we want to be heard

Help us, Oh Lord, and strengthen us
That we may be able to bear your training
That we do not turn back right when you are yet to finish with us
That we do not roll off the altar before the savour of our sacrifice reach heaven
That we do not rush out of the kiln as you fire our freshly moulded personality
That we do not become half-baked cakes living in resentment
That we heal up after you have opened us up,  cleaned us out and bound us up