When did we canonize gospel music singers? When did we transform any and every song with a gospel label into absolute truths? When did we draw a line between what is God’s music and what is the devil’s?
This separation is a very Brazilian thing. In the United States, for example, it’s common for Christian songs to play in movies, dance shows, TV programs, and even to be part of “secular” concert setlists.
The opposite also happens. There are Christian bands playing “world music” in their concerts. Recently Hillsong sang “I Gotta Feeling,” Bride sang “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” and the number of bands that have re-recorded U2 is countless. But in Brazil there is this rule, this separation between gospel music and world music.
There are several explanations for this, and I would highly recommend the vlog of Marcos Botelho, who speaks in a lively way about the Gospel Ghetto. Marcos has much more skill with text and camera than I do. I’ll avoid getting into discussions about market, rankings, and finances — things I think Marcos handled very well. My focus is different.
There is an absolute truth in 99% of evangelical churches in Brazil: it is forbidden to play secular music in church, and it is permitted, almost in totality, to play gospel music. This already creates a pre-selection of what one listens to. If I’m only going to sing one type of music, surely, I’ll listen to more of this type of music.
And no, I’m not against music with the gospel label. My daily playlist includes a lot of Christian music, from Resgate and Palavrantiga, to Ron Kenoly, Don Moen, João Alexandre, Marcos Witt, DC Talk, Newsboys, and I can even cite some excellent songs from Thalles (Eu Escolho Deus), Ana Paula Valadão (Esperança), anyway… I am very eclectic in my musical taste.
What bothers me is when we sing, support, and believe in absurdities just because they are “gospel.” Do you have any idea how many people think “the best of God is yet to come” is written in the Bible?
There are people who have NEVER read the story of Lazarus, Zacchaeus, the multiplication of loaves… people who have never read the gospels, or a letter from Paul, but they know dozens, hundreds of gospel songs by heart.
You know what happens? These people take these songs as truth! This is their faith!!! That’s what they believe in, those are their Good News… and that creates monsters, that creates absurdities, that creates false images of God!!!
How many people have you heard saying victory tastes like honey? That today you are down, but tomorrow you’ll be on the stage? Read this song calmly, compare it with the infamous Beijinho no Ombro — tell me what the difference is.
Back then, 2,000 years ago, Paul wrote to the Thessalonians: “Don’t be naive. Examine everything and keep only what is good.”
I invite you to do the same. Don’t accept moldy bread as cornmeal cake. Analyze calmly what you are made to listen to, buy, and believe. Not everything that comes with the gospel label is right.
There is much gospel music that has nothing of the gospel — music that manipulates the truth, that preaches revenge, that teaches theologies centered on the human being. This is exactly what is written in the second letter to Timothy, 4:3: “You will discover that some time from now people will no longer have the stomach for solid teaching, but instead will fill themselves with spoiled spiritual food — captivating messages that match their fantasies. They will turn their backs on the truth, will trade it for illusion.”
There is much gospel music that preaches something contrary to the gospel of Christ. They are anti-Christ songs… and as such, they are sin.
Be careful — sometimes, gospel music is sin.