there may be a language difference at work here, mr. redman and i are separated by all of america and the atlantic ocean, so if i’m lumping him in with the message about “protecting our kids” i hear a lot of, i’m sorry. this tweet just sparked a lot of thoughts that had been bubbling below the surface.
I love many genres of music but am getting sick of how hard it is to protect my kids from the sexual/misogynist output that’s all around us
— Matt Redman (@matt_redman) May 28, 2016
i try to keep my kids safe from dangerous situations. i also try to shield them from inappropriate content, but there comes a point where content can serve as a foundation for a lesson and understanding. rather than shield them from sex, i want them to see sex for what it is and what it isn’t. if the world presents a view of sex i don’t agree with, i’m not afraid of that viewpoint, because i can defend my own viewpoint. there have been many situations where a questionable lyric has sparked great teachable moments. that moment wouldn’t have happened if i kept my kids’ heads in the sand. besides, my children have their own sexual outputs, and like it or not, i will never be able to shield them from that! if my parenting is limited to telling them sex is bad, they will have a lot of questions and no guidance when they discover that it’s good.
as for misogynist content in art…it’s really just a marker for the misogynistic content in our society. i’d rather be honest about the lyrics and that they make me feel disappointed and sad for the author. while i may cringe at a rap lyric’s depiction of women, the impact of the lyric pales in comparison to the impact of gender roles my children see in their parents’ marriage, their friends, their schools, and their church.
blessing their lives with counter points to “worldly ways” gives them the tools they need to face people’s misogynistic attitudes and casual approach to sex with grace and strength, rather than with fear and judgement. i’m not raising kids that will run from the world. i’m not raising kids so that the world runs from them. i’m raising kids that can do as Christ did: reach out to the broken and care for their brokenness without my kids becoming broken themselves.
“i have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer i who lives, but Christ lives in me. the life i now live in the flesh i live by faith in the Son of God who loves me and delivered Himself up for me.’ – galatians 2:20