To understand ” gospel-music-in-the-garment-of-culture ” properly, you must understand that, Music is most definitely one of the loudest categories of the Artistic Elements that make up every culture, thus music in itself cannot be separated from culture because it is an intergral part of culture. It cannot be separated from the cultural uniqueness of its people or of a particular people. If your music does not reflect your culture, it is definitely reflecting a borrowed culture because music is culture. You cannot talk about culture anwhere without touching the unique Arts/Crafts of a people which is the throne where music directly sits in the definition of culture. Yet, music cannot be done without the use of language; cannot be complete without dressing/fashion, dance steps/ rythmn, beliefs share etc. Meaning that through and through, there is an inseparable union between music and culture whether Gospel or Secular. Either way, music cannot be separated from culture, be it language, dressing, mindset, beliefs, rhythm, melodies, philosophy etc.
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Even Gospel Music is Culture-Bound
Gospel Music therefore being both a “Genre of music” originating from the “negroe/blacks or African Americans as far back as early 17th century which they used to sing their way to freedom and also seen largely as a kind of music not limited by genres, but written and sung by christians, believers and followers of Jesus Christ spreading the culture of the kingdom of God(Ways, system, language, dressing, beliefs, lifestyle, mindset/ phylosophy, structural organisation/order etc.) and from people from respective cultures and cannot be void of their cultural elements. You cannot deny the presence of Culture from Gospel Music but you can deny the presence of YOUR OWN CULTURE from GOSPEL MUSIC by thinking YOUR CULTURE IS EVIL while another’s is spiritually aligned to God Almighty. If you think less or evil of your culture, it means you are yourself of less worth/evil as well because everything about you resonates culture. Name them: You speak a LANGUAGE; DRESS in diverse cultural wears in the world; You DANCE steps from some culture even when you reject yours; you write songs in a particular line of beliefs, philosophy, you eat FOOD, unique to your culture or borrowed from others etc. How then can you live separating yourself from culture because even living is LIFESTYLE (CULTURE).
It is true that as a Lover of and Believer in Christ Jesus, a Follower and Ambassador of His, there are certain cultural manifestations in your culture or the existing shared cultural practices the world over, that you must not be part of, but that is ONLY because you are CHRIST’ CULTURE guided or are bonded to His and not because you can LIVE SEPARATED FROM CULTURE. We will expose this more in my next article on CULTURE, as we will be having a series of vital article updates on this.
2. Other Schools of Thought on culture’s relationship with the Gospel
According to the Study.com blog post on Culture, Culture is the set of patterns of human activity within a society or social group. Culture is how we act, think, and behave based on the shared values of our society. It is how we understand symbols, from language to hand gestures. It is everywhere, and we continually develop and define our culture on a daily basis.
Wikipedia also says Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is composed and performed for many purposes, including aesthetic pleasure, religious or ceremonial purposes, and as an entertainment product for the marketplace. Gospel music is characterized by dominant vocals and strong use of harmony with Christian lyrics. Gospel music can be traced to the early 17th century.
In the same line, Mia Freeman in the Admissions Blog Post _The importance of Gospel Music to the black community published in the FURMAN University Website, Historically, gospel music helped enslaved people escape to freedom by using codes and spiritual hymns as a guide. Gospel music also provided unity for the black community during the civil rights era. Hymns would often be turned into chants for marches. By using religion in the fight against inequality, gospel music promoted a spirit of hope and served as an outlet used to worship God.
In this article, we treat Gospel Music more like music with Gospel inclined lyrics and the Spirit for the salvation of souls, submission to and reverence of the Most High God through Jesus Christ, than just as the Black American Cultural Gospel Music Genre, eventhough we see from here that to the Black Americans, Gospel Music in itself is culture. This is more reason why , understanding gospel-music-in-the-garment-of-culture is very vital for the enforcement of the global impact of the Gospel , be it through creative arts or other approaches.
3. The Impact of Culture in the Spread of the Gospel/Enforcing the Voice of Gospel Music from comminities to the world
In understanding ” gospel-music-in-the-garment-of-culture “, Apart from the Truth that the Word of God is His power given unto us for salvation, which Gospel Music carries plus the Presence and power of God via the Holy Spirit to convict it’s consumers unto salvation, our cultures remain very strategic, attractive, attention pulling and strong impact enforcement garment or funnel in which we should package our Gospel for a direct, faster and stronger impact in the lives of people. Thereby, facilitating the accomplishment of the Divine Agenda to turn the kingdoms of this world, Into the Kingdom of our dear God.
Gospel Music in this sense is not just limited to a particular genre of music related to the Black or Negroe Americans like Wikipedia puts it, but it is a general term used for music that brings reverence to God, emits Divine Life via Jesus Christ, proclaims the truth, dishes out the undiluted word of God, brings transformation to lives, changes societal systems and ushers the supreme reign of God on the earth.
4. Biblical Reference to Apostle Paul words on gospel-music-in-the-garment-of-culture/Some Caution
From time immemorial, the Culture of every society has without doubts, influenced the way the Gospel is presented to a people, the reception and practice of the Gospel in several ways. So Apostle Paul says in his Epistles in 1Corinthians 9:19-23 that “I become everything to everybody so I can by all means save some”. This scripture is in no way supporting the compromise of the Gospel of the Kingdom to tolerate and promote any bad cultural practices or sinful life, especially those elements related to evil customs, traditions, ways of life, dressing etc.
Culture is a combination of the material and immaterial elements that spell the identity of a people and sets them apart in language, dressing, way of life, mindset, behavior, philosophy, ideas, understanding, food, Arts/Crafts, Economy, Education, social Structure/ beliefs/customs/traditions etc. Now tell me, which Impact can the Gospel ever make in any society, be it through music or other means without mastering the cultural uniqueness of every society and crafting out the Gospel in alignment in order to get people hooked in every sense. Again I repeat this is in no way an attempt to promote evil, bad , destructive Cultural practices or witchcraft in any society.
This is a very sensitive topic and has a lot of misconceptions in the Christian world, especially when it comes to the African Culture and The Gospel or the African Culture used in Gospel Music or Arts. The question is, how did the Gospel come to the world and how was it communicated to the people for salvation/submission to the supremacy and sovereignty of the Lord Yahweh? The language of the Word of God is neither English, nor French, nor Hebrew, nor Greek etc. But it was given to any writer according to the language he could understand and properly communicate it to God’s people. That is the Gospel wearing the garment of culture (Language). Question: What Language did Moses use to write the 10 Commandments if not in their Hebrew language?? Did it now limit the language of the Gospel to Hebrew or Greek only?? Or course NO. So why not translate the 10 Commandments to my Nkwen Language or your Yoruba, Igbo, Bafut, Lamnso, Limbum, wimbum etc. Will it suddenly become evil or less of the Gospel because it’s now translated to the language of your cultural Uniqueness???
5. Thought Provoking Questions on gospel-music-in-the-garment-of-culture to Facilitate the Impact of the Gospel/Gospel Music In the World.
Have you ever bothered to find out how Jesus Christ or other Patriarchs of Faith etc dressed in their ministerial days on earth? Or course,in their cultural attires, not ours right?? What languages did they speak or write their Epistles and songs with?? English?? Of course NO, that wasn’t their language. It was only translated to English so that by the garment of cultural uniqueness, English speakers should as well understand and be saved. That is the Gospel wearing the cultural garment for the sake of impact.
There is a natural inexplicable presence/power that comes with every Cultural Uniqueness and identity inputed by God Almighty Himself (anticipate an article on this. Imagine us redeeming and harnessing this power to impact our communities with the Gospel of the Kingdom God. Imagine a Nkwen man or Igbo, Yoruba, South African, Ghanaian, Banso, Kom etc hearing the Gospel via songs or rhythms, Languages or reading the Bible in their own languages or praising God in their own Languages, rhythms, melodies etc. watching Gospel Musicians,Pastors, Priest or Ministers in any capacity, decently dressed in their own Cultural attires, dancing their dance steps etc, What will be their reactions ? I mean how will they relate to it.
I mean imagine a Nkwen man on Pentecost day,hearing Apostle Peter Minister the Gospel in the Holy Spirit and power in the Nkwen Language, dressed in our world class traditional regalia or dress, Dancing some North West Njang or mbaghalum praise and worship? Picture the scene of the Scramble of Nkwen people to salvation. Gospel Music in a cultural garment is not a limitation but a strategic strategy of impact and a unique selling power.
6. Caution
Nevertheless, whatever the cultural element may be, if it will compromise the truth,lead to the violation of God’s word about our lives and society or cause rebellion against God, we must be conscious enough to kick it away.
Gospel music can make such a swift , more effective and unstoppable impact on people, communities, cities and nations, if the respective Elements of the respective cultures in the world are redeemed and harnessed for the spread of the Gospel.
