Racism, Reality, and One Bad Bunny

Audio By Carbonatix

Friend—if Part One was a red face…

Part Two is a boiling blood.

Because this one isn’t just about a halftime show.

It’s about the way the modern church has become compromised, conflicted, inconsistent, and gullible in our effort to demonstrate solidarity, inclusion, or compassion.

We will celebrate what is degrading as long as it comes packaged as “culture.”

Flag on the Field

My Christian Hispanic friends would not, did not watch the Bad Bunny halftime show—and told me the lyrics alone made it an easy decision for their families.

But some of my white Christian friends thought it was a beautiful and amazing celebration of culture and diversity–gushed over the gift of healing that it was to their white souls, cheered Thumper’s triumphal victory over racism, and frowned on any who refused to watch.

And this is a perfect snapshot of both the country and the church.

Degradation as Elevation via Obfuscation

Let me respect you by rejoicing when you’re disrespected…
and then congratulate myself for being so inclusive.

That isn’t love.

That is virtue signaling.

The most superficial solidarity if ever there were.

Concern for your cause but not character…celebrating your culture to the tune of songs they could not play in English.
Urgency for earthly needs but not eternal…don’t you feel better now that you’re represented, though represented in a way offends your God?

My feelings > the facts…or faith.

And that’s where this gets ugly.

Because what are we actually doing when we applaud something “cultural” that faithful Christians within that culture are saying is degrading?

We are not listening. We are not discerning. We are performing.

We are saying, “Look how supportive I am,” while ignoring what is being supported.

“Come children, gather round and see what we call good. Look how the man is loving that other man well by the truck. Listen to how a man should speak about a woman, baby girl.”

Heroes of wholesomeness? Family friendly? But…but…culture and joy! Jen Hatmaker, before she blocked me, called Bad Bunny “the hero we needed…like watching the right side of history set to music…”

Safaera, indeed. Tell me you don’t speak Spanish without telling me, Jen.

We will applaud almost anything as long as it comes with the right packaging.

Y’all, half the church is applauding Marxism as long as it is wrapped in “fighting injustice.”

The packaging is always the same:

Diversity. Culture. Compassion. Progress. And LOVE.

But strip the wrapping paper off and what’s underneath is often the same old degradation the world has always offered:

Sexual chaos.
Objectification.
Mockery of holiness.
Entertainment as evangelism.

And here’s what makes my blood boil:

I am not nearly as indignant on behalf of white people who didn’t care, didn’t watch, or didn’t understand the words.

But my blood BOILS for Spanish-speaking people who are being told:

This is who you are.
This is how you are.
This is what you MUST VALUE—over their own righteous objections.

Say you see how messed up that is.

It’s saying, “Let me tell you what your culture means,” while ignoring the believers within that culture who are saying, “This does not honor God. This does not honor women. This does not honor families.”

My God—if Puerto Ricans were the people group and we their Jonah, God would send the devouring whale on dry land to find us and prevent us from causing greater harm.

Because we would rather blindly applaud than take the time for a pesky thing like understanding what’s actually being said or done…

…because then we might have to object.

Inclusion in the Kingdom, Exclusion from the Culture

One of my Hispanic friends told me they didn’t watch the Super Bowl because it was at the same time as their Sunday PM service and the Sabbath belongs to the Lord. Imagine that. We are so busy trying to elevate even the unholy parts of a culture and the holy people within are saying, “Nay, nay…no thank you. My culture is Christ.”

Another salty reader, shared how their decision to abstain was not based on country but Kingdom.

Friends, fellow followers–Christ is our culture. Jesus is our King.

And if Christ is our culture, then yes—there will be things we don’t participate in.

There will be things we don’t celebrate. Not because we are better but because we belong to Someone else.

Full disclosure: I never intended to watch the Super Bowl halftime. But I didn’t intend to watch the TPUSA one either. We watched neither and everyone lived. Because consistency matters. I could not tell the college students in my home that we aren’t watching this because it does not meet the standards but cheating, and drinking in English do? Y’all, dirt-road drunk, country isn’t my anthem either. Now, I know some have said Kid Rock’s show was a narrative arc of redemption. Great! I’ll go back and watch–in hindsight. But I couldn’t afford to take the chance or learn in real time that it wasn’t. I went back later and watched Bad Bunny’s halftime, to be informed enough to offer an opinion. My first impression? I didn’t care that it was in Spanish. I enjoyed the cultural vignettes and nods. It was tamer than I expected based on the hype. And I wished I understood more about what I was seeing and hearing.

So, I looked up the songs. And the lyrics. Then, understood why my friend from Colombia said he would fight someone who talked that way to his daughter.

A reader fired back at me, “Well, if you didn’t watch Bad Bunny, I hope you didn’t watch all the past halftime shows either!” Wish granted. Friends, those of us with kids at home have been opting out of halftime for decades. And the Grammy’s. And now Olympic Opening Ceremonies. Thanks a lot, France. This is not new.

This is what it is like to be a Christian. Not everything is for us. There are parties we don’t go to and people we don’t party with.

The world doesn’t need our acceptance or approval. They need our set apart example. And discernment.

But this week, we cried racism without context. Then, we cried culture without conviction.

We condemned the obvious offense we’re trained to see. And applauded the quiet degradation we’ve been discipled to tolerate.

The church has become so desperate to appear loving and culturally inclusive that we applaud what faithful Christians within that culture are grieving.

Think on that.