Redeem

"Redeem the culture" is becoming more and more the cry of Christianity today. Scott McClellan over at Igniter Media wrote a quick blurb on the subject, citing Johnny Cash's cover of Trent Reznor's Hurt as a perfect example.

Cash recorded a cover of Trent Reznor’s “Hurt” and released it on the album American IV -The Man Comes Around. The music video that followed was amazing. Footage of Cash, humbled by age and illness, sitting alone with his guitar or at the head of a banquet table, is interspersed with footage of Cash as a younger man, loved ones he lost along the way (or would soon lose), and images of Christ.

Trent Reznor’s lyrics (except for one omitted obscenity) were redeemed by the voice, imagery, faith, and life of Johnny Cash. For what its worth, the music industry responded. Artists from Bono to Justin Timberlake declared the video the most powerfully moving work the music video medium had ever produced.

While I believe that one day culture (music, values, art, relationships, etc.) will be fully redeemed/recreated, “Hurt” seems to be the perfect example of how followers of Christ can begin redeeming culture in the present. I wonder what would happen if we would follow Mr. Cash’s example by getting knee-deep in culture and redeeming it from within.