As I sit here compiling and analyzing research for a new book I’m writing,[1] I am quickly realizing that there is a large gap between the connection with the Hip Hop generation and the church (emergent, traditional, or whatever you wanna call it). Most Hip Hop youth (between the ages of 12-18) see the church as oppressive, judgmental, harsh, and out of touch. They also recognize the double standards that are set forth as well. Double standards like “Do as I say not as I do.” Moreover, there is a vast amount of young urban Hip Hoppers seeking connections with other religions. One young guy I interviewed stated, “Yeah, I grew up in the Black Church, but Sh** they outdated now man, I mean…umm, they just don’t get me and I just can’t get with a punk Jesus they keep portraying to me…Rastafarianism is doing a way better job of meeting me at my level, Sh** I’m tired of being judged, I love God, but…whew…I don’t even know about the Christian church man.”

That statement, and his ensuing comments, have stuck with me. They ring in and out of my eardrums. My own Christian indignation rose up in me. I wanted to say, “No wait, we’re still cool! I can get you to Magic Mountain and to summer camp! I can also give you a great Bible study!” However, did this young brotha even need that? I wanted to yell and shout and tell him, “Wait, wait just a minute, you’re not giving it a chance.” And, well, I did say that, in a round about “academic” way….his response…”Man, I’ve been waiting my whole life for the church to change and meet me where I’m at, all I see Sunday after Sunday is the preacher talking bout the same old same old….money, power, and more money and how it all revolves around Jesus….is that even in the bible? How can I be at a church that always talks about money, the pastor rich as hell, and my family broke as a joke…come on now bruh!”

“Shoot!” I think, “You’re just too young and you need to just switch churches and see that not all Christians are that way.” Right? I mean, it’s him…right? It must be…2000 years of “correct” Christian doctrine can’t be wrong…right?

Hmmm. Well, I don’t want to give away the “meat” of my book, but this is a dilemma for me. The young Hip Hoppers I talk to on the streets all see the Christian church as oppressive, mean, judgmental, filled with hate, and “out of touch” with reality. Come on, this can’t be all-true…right? So what does that say to a practical Hip Hop theologian like me? How might I go about engaging a culture that is a little “hostile” to Christianity?

I see some tough roads ahead of us. The research is telling me some interesting things about what is happening “out there.” We (meaning the Christian church) will need to make some major changes in order to accommodate a new generation that does not deal well with “words” only. They live to see action and behavior in action. Communication theorist and expert Donald Smith[2] argues there are 13 signal systems present in every culture. He also lists those signal systems in order of their relevance and believability. At the top, where it is least likely to believe and what we consciously do, is language or words. At the bottom, where it is the most likely to believe and what we do unconsciously, are actions & behavior.

Interview after interview has stated how much young Hip Hoppers believe actions over words. That has big implications for Matthew 28:16-20. I, for one, am not willing to just sit and watch a generation be “lost” because we (as the church) were too stubborn to change. I know what most of you might probably be thinking, we need to supersede culture and not be “in the world.” Well, my friends, from my perspective, we’re in it. I’m in it. This young brotha is in it. So what I am gonna do? What are we gonna do? Hip Hop is not going away anytime soon. My hope is that we will at least, as Niebuhr suggests, dialogue how Christ might transform us and culture while we embrace Hip Hop with salt and light.