Does metal music bring to mind images of sharing the Gospel to you? Most people would probably say no. Especially most Christians. The yelling, the loudness, the noise, the aggressive nature of the music, the aggressive actions of their fans during concerts. And they were a lot of black.
All of this seems antithetical to what we associate with going to church on Sunday or sharing our faith with our friends. But what if I told you that some of the elements that define metal music make it one of the best ways to spread the Gospel?
The Gospel Is Outsider Music
Even though metal music may have become more acceptable to the mainstream (“tolerated” is probably more accurate), metal music will always be outsider music. Part of what attracts fans to metal music is it’s not pop music. Metal fans often enjoy the fact that regular people “don’t get it”. And metal fans love to be weird and nonconformist.
In most areas today, people who hold to a biblical worldview are the weird ones. Christianity’s views on sex, marriage, abortion, men and women’s roles in the family, and how we should treat one another are countercultural – just like they were when Christianity formed in the midst of the Roman Empire.
Christians have been set apart by God. This doesn’t mean Christians are better than other people; it means we have been called to stand out, not blend in, to be used for God’s purposes. We are called over and over again to act different than everyone else. (Romans 11:1-2;1 Cor 6:11).
The Gospel Goes Into Dark Places
One of the characteristics of metal is it often portrays dark imagery. The lyrics of metal songs can bring up dark topics and go into places that make people uncomfortable.
Yes, the Gospel is Good News. And Jesus is the light of the world. But, before you can grasp the good news, you have to come to grips with the bad news.
We are all messed up. The famous Sermon On The Mount appears in Matthew 5:3-7:29, and part of this sermon shows us how messed up we really are. Ever gotten mad at your brother? That’s akin to murder. Ever just looked at someone and had thoughts of desire? That’s the same as committing adultery. In other words, we can’t possibly live a pure life.
Deep inside, if we’re really honest with ourselves, and we look in those dark places within us, we all realize we’re messed up. And we have to face that before we can follow Jesus and accept the free gift of the sacrifice he made for us.
The Gospel Is Bold
Metal music is bold and in your face. It doesn’t hold back. It doesn’t mince words. Metal songs have a “here it is, take it or leave it” type attitude. There’s no beating around the bush with most lyrics. They make strong statements in a very bold fashion. The singer is rather unapologetic about the things he or she is singing about.
Preaching the Gospel to the world makes a bold statement that it doesn’t like to hear. I’m not suggesting the gospel should be presented in an obnoxious way – yelling and screaming at people. But, in this day and age, standing up to say things that are true in a simple and direct way is bold. No matter what level your voice is at when you do it.
You can gently guide people for a while. But if that isn’t working, at some point you’re left with no other way than to be blunt, lay out the facts, and say the truth in a clear, concise (bold) way.
So there are three ways that metal music is similar to preaching the Gospel. Can you think of any other ways? Leave them in the comments below.
David is an author and speaker with Legati Christi where he has written about and spoken on multiple apologetic and theological topics for the past 6 years. He recently launched Theology In Music as a way to combine his love of theology with his other passion in life – music.
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