Cancelled

My dad has always been a big fan of music, despite not having any musical ability himself. As a kid in the 1990s and early 2000s, my dad shared with me what many regard as a golden age of contemporary Christian music. This was a time when some Christian artists were experiencing huge success in the “mainstream,” selling millions of records to people who were not Christians. These were not just “regular” bands with Christian members either, many of the hit songs of the era were clearly and boldly proclaiming the saving grace of Jesus. They were broadcast on the FM airwaves right alongside NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys.

Recently, I have been enjoying stepping back in time and revisiting some of my old favorites. As I have reengaged with these artists, I learned that, over the years, several of them got caught up in various forms of moral compromise or they are no longer professing Christians at all. The various “scandals” have resulted in some of my old favorites being banned from getting airplay on Christian radio stations altogether. They have been effectively “cancelled.” Learning of all of this has caused my heart to ache for the individuals in these bands who struggled with sin and with their faith and it has caused me to wonder, where is love and grace for these people? Would Jesus “ban” them for what they have done?

As someone who struggled with my own secret battle with immorality and sin, I deeply feared the potential consequences for bringing my deception out into the light for examination. Would I lose my marriage, would I get “banned” from being able to raise my daughter, would someone like me actually have healing and freedom? I wonder if these musicians concealed their doubts and struggles for the same reasons and when they were ultimately banned their worst fears came true. Observing this from the outside, it appears that a road “back” is not possible and these people are “written off” for good.

This breaks my heart because it flies in the face of what I have learned through my own recovery journey from pornography addiction. I experienced that no one is too “bad” or “too far gone” for love, grace, and restoration. As a matter of fact, I learned that those are lies from the enemy designed to convince us that God is not actually powerful enough to help us and we have to be perfect to “earn” His love. It makes me very sad that these lies are being repeated by Christian radio stations through cancelling artists who did not live a “perfect” life. No wonder people who are struggling stay hidden, do not ask questions, and do not ask for help.

I recognize that playing music from these artists would cause controversy and raise some very difficult questions; however, the New Testament is filled with examples of Jesus raising difficult questions and causing controversy. This is exactly why people were drawn to Him. His message, the Gospel, shook hearer’s beliefs to their very core and offered hope for the hopeless. You are never too far gone, you are never too bad, and no matter what you have done you can receive love, grace, and restoration. There is a path back and you can never be cancelled. I experienced this during my own recovery and pray the musicians who have struggled will too.

If you are fighting your own hidden battle with immorality and sin, I encourage you to stop struggling alone and reach out. Despite what your fears are telling you and what Christian FM radio may tell you, there is no one who is beyond help and you will not be cancelled for telling the truth. 1 John 1:7 says, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” By taking your first step into the light, and telling the truth, you are taking your first step to freedom. Take your first step today. If you would like support on your journey, I would love to talk with you. You can schedule a free consultation with me to connect and see if working together is the right fit for you.