10/23/2020
Final Paper; my take on things. A long read: 3000 words. I'd appreciate feedback.
The Mission in The Underground
This Mission Project final paper will outline the Context, Theology of Mission and Strategic Proposals for my “street ministry,” called the Cultural Exchange. I will explain the current Context in which it thrives, from where my ministry has begun. I will then explain the Theology of my Mission and how it relates to the Context. Finally, I will explain the Strategic Proposals I will be using to maintain the core ministry of the Cultural Exchange, while seeking to branch out from San Diego to London and Europe. The long-term goal is to have the Cultural Exchange spreading the good news of Jesus Christ worldwide.
The Context in which the Cultural Exchange has been working, since 2009, is within the Underground art, music and street clothing scene of Southern California. This includes popular rock bands, punk bands, reggae bands and ska bands, and the industry surrounding them. This also includes lowbrow and pop-culture, fine and graphic artists, and the industry surrounding them as well. At many points, the two worlds intersect; as artists create album covers and promotional pieces for the bands, and bands sometimes play at art shows. The street fashion overlaps and weaves itself throughout both industries, as artists design t-shirts, clothing and accessories for band members. Band members promote the art, and clothes within the Underground are worn in a unique, loud, colorful, rowdy and sometimes shocking way.
Christianity is not very popular in this Subculture, as its punk rock roots stem from an attitude of anti-society, anti-government, anti-establishment and anti-religion. Abuses by each institution are sung about in most songs played live, whether they be Jamaican reggae, English ska or American punk and rock bands. Racism has been an issue constantly argued and talked about, as if there is an ongoing war for the soul of the scene and what it ultimately stands for. The scene has many factions; most get along and adherents to each can be seen at every live music or art show. Such a wide variety of opinions is bound to cause conflict…if you allow it to. For the most part, most in the Underground keep their opinions to themselves, but wear them very loudly on their t-shirts and jackets, clothing styles, and even colors and symbols, often prominent.
Within the Underground, the attitude towards race is as diverse as the multi-layered crowd is itself. With reggae, ska, punk, and rock being the prevalent genres of music; art, graphics and clothing styles tended to follow. But most in the Underground are a mix of each. In the ‘80’s, these four musical, artistic and clothing styles were kept separated, the adherents were at sharp odds with each other and often fighting in the streets and alleyways. In Long Beach, around 1990, a band named Sublime was born, and they mixed all four musical genres together, along with the surfing, skateboarding and cholo street style of clothing. Sublime did not accept racism, and stood against it in their music and lifestyle. They set the tone for racial diversity and unity by singing it out and living it out. People didn’t preach about racism much, you would just have people from all races at the same party or live show, so people didn’t really care. It was highly effective in combatting racism, especially in the beach communities where there were not many black people.
After Sublime, the ‘90’s were filled with hybrid bands mixing the genres, and it became very mainstream because it appealed to people across the old “lines of separation.” The cliques, or divided musical styles of the ‘80’s, were mixing. This blending of musical styles usually was an outright symbol, or at least a metaphor, for blending cultures, often including the black experience of Hip-Hop and Rap. Since the Underground was about 70% white, 25% Hispanic, and 5% black, hybrid bands would legitimize the black musical experience, and black culture was introduced to the streets, suburbs and even upscale homes and beaches of Southern California.
Race was still a very complex issue in the Underground. As a whole, the punk rock roots of the culture stood against both daily street racism and systemic racism. But, as a result of the mainstream hybrid musical style explosion, many different genres, or cliques, were created in its aftermath. And since people of the underground mostly look out for and govern themselves, many went out on racist tangents, some very extreme. This was a problem in Southern California in the ‘80’s as well, but it was more obvious who the racist boneheads were. By the late ‘90’s, everything became interwoven, blended and disguised…it was not always clear “who was who” and what they stood for when it came to race, politics or religion.
The art scene in the Underground, however, changed and blended as well. Diverging from the “no-nonsense” ethos of punk rock but divulging in its chaos. The lowbrow and pop-culture worlds spread out even further than the musical scenes, and became very diverse, but mostly stayed fiercely anti-racist, quasi-Communist and very progressive. Ironically there were almost no black artists and almost no black or African culture represented in the actual art. A very strong anti-establishment background led to a very strong anti-religion attitude, which led to a highly-charged anti-Christian mentality. In 1999-2003, I was the only Christian artist I knew of, and only a few other Christians would reveal themselves.
In this environment, my ministry, the Cultural Exchange, was born in 2008 when I became the Outreach Core Leader at Mariners Church, Irvine. Having other Christians supporting me, I was edified to dive back into the Underground, armed with a new confidence and knowledge of the Bible. I also had a better idea about how to build COMMUNITY, which is what people were looking for in the Underground in the first place. Using the all-inclusive “hybrid model” of Sublime and the 1990’s, my ministry became a mix of surfing, beach parties, bike rides, football, church and community. Everyone was included, it didn’t matter what color or background you had. It didn’t matter how deep you were with your faith in God and Jesus. My goal was to create an underground community with my Christian friends.
In my explanation of how Theology factors into this “Mission in the Underground,” I will reference four different books. “I’m Still Here,” by Austin Channing Brown, “The Color of Compromise,” by Jemar Tisby, “The Church in Color,” by Montague Williams and “Rediscipling the White Church,” by David Swanson.
One of the points running through “I’m Still Here” is what I call “the white experience of black people.” This is Austin Channing Brown’s experience of white culture, from her perspective as a black person. In the Undergound, much effort has been made to eradicate racism and make it extremely unpopular and unwanted in the community. This is through the different musical genres, the music and lyrics themselves, and the feeling of inclusion that weaves itself through the community.
The common attitude is to be inclusive, even of radical people with radical thoughts and lifestyles. Black people are included in this community by default, although admittedly, few are seen in the community.
It can be supposed, though, that black people, or people of any non-white race, are welcomed in the Underground. I have a few black friends in the scene and they are judged, like anyone else, by intelligence, humor, sarcasm, musical talent and charisma: how “cool” they are and who they know. I would say the Underground experience of black and non-white people is positive, welcoming, inclusive, and non-judgmental. Of course, there are exceptions, but the Underground was formed to be a refuge for black people and people of color, as well as outsiders, outcasts and misfits or any color.
One of the major themes that run though Jemar Tisby’s book, “The Color of Compromise” is that “all whites (including Christians) are complicit in allowing the environment of racism to exist.” This is true in mainstream American society, extremely true in high society and evident in the Church as a whole. But again, this is the reason the Undergound was formed: to escape the accepted social norms of white, Christian, Protestant America. The Underground is a refuge outside of society where social class, religion and race are not emphasized. In fact, these things were often seen as the enemy, and the reason for problems and inequality in society.
What was lost in this “refuge” for outsiders, including black people and people of color? Religion. Faith. Jesus Christ. Morality. Sobriety. Discipline. Higher education. In building a social utopia, all-inclusive and all-tolerant, somehow faith in God and living a Godly life was forgotten about. Drugs, alcohol, s*x and Rock ‘n’ Roll were the king of the dark dominion. Demonic activity was a possibility, as evidenced in rampant pagan and anti-Christian religions. Tolerance was the call….so all things were tolerated. Or mostly overlooked, disregarded or parodied. Ironically, in this “dark side” of the Underground, racism against black people returned. Tolerance flipped to intolerance as darker forces hovered are one word: hate. Hate is very tolerant.
Like a light in the darkness, more and more people rebelled in this culture of rebellion. Drug use lost to sobriety; the absence of faith gave way to those of us who championed Jesus Christ and Godly living. Inside the Underground, a quiet internal revolution was brewing. Piety. Sobriety. Adopting the social norms of mainstream America, including the nascent Patriotism. The Military was respected again, as many members of the Underground were proud again to be Military.
This is where I am; the Mission in the Undergound. Before the time of Covid until now, alliances were made, harsh political and social divisions split people apart, people re-grouped, supporters banded together and I realized I had been Ministering to people to whole time. I had spread an attitude of hope, an ability to outshine the darkness, to stay positive and always witness my faith in Jesus Christ. It was both obvious and implied; there are people who contacted me directly, who I work with directly, and there are those who I know are watching and learning. I know I’m having an impact because I see people’s posts are changing. God is becoming “cool” among the crowd.
Now that I have people’s attention, I can go about the business of sharing what I’ve learned about Christ’s love, and living it out. I can share my life of sobriety to people and show them that you can enjoy the music scene without drugs, alcohol and the darkness. And I can also explain to them, as I’ve learned in this class, about how to overcome personal and systemic racism in our scene and in America.
Many in the Undergound scene claim to be “colorblind,” and in all honesty, they are. People are not judged by skin color, whether they be black, Latino, Asian or Jewish. Strength in character, creativity and honesty is what really matters in the scene. Radicalness and unorthodoxy is what is appreciated. Intelligence and the perception of what’s around us…and the ability to communicate it, it what people care about. Colorblindness is encouraged, and an essential part of the scene
In “The Church in Color,” by Montague Williams, the author states “racial colorblindness is a good start but race is more complex.” I understand what he means by this, and in a church setting, with things a lot more controlled and settled, we can look past colorblindness towards building a church that is more focused on each person’s individual story and history. But in the Underground, chaos still rules; the lack of control is how we’ve built it, not heeding to any authority is the goal. We have our own rules.
With all this in mind, all Strategic Proposals for a Christian Mission in this context have to be carefully considered. There can be no rules or mandate; there is no one-size fits all in the Underground. There are lifestyle influencers, rock stars, famous artists or fashion designers; but none of these, at least in the Underground, are elevated enough to be considered leaders or a general spokesman for the whole group. Ironically…the group is too diverse, as diversity and independent thought are championed.
Strategic Principle #1: “live it.” Be it. Don’t talk about it as much as you live it and act like a Christian. The true beauty of the Underground, as I just mentioned, is that independent thought is encouraged. Being a rebel is encouraged. “Going against the grain” is encouraged. So being an independent-minded Follower of Jesus Christ is welcome, because people entertain intelligent arguments. However; dogma, religion, control and manipulation are very unwelcome; not only is the Christian who promotes these practices unpopular, he runs the risk of re-enforcing existing anti-Christian or atheistic views.
Strategic Principle #2: be aware of who is listening to you. You may be opening up someone unexpected to the Lord by your words and actions. By the way you “live it.” So, be conscious of people who support you and your writing. Learn their names. Talk to them, get to know them. Support the things they do and say, that you like. Ministry in the Underground is all about relationships. Those take time to build and cultivate. In the intimate, word-for-word quick chat of platforms like Facebook, be mindful. Your friends and followers are watching you; but so is everyone else.
Strategic Principle #3: Let “seekers” of Faith come to you. Don’t Evangelize to the public; that is an outdated method, out of touch with the norms of modern society and the Underground in particular. Faith is not a numbers game; the amount of people converted to Christianity or Baptized by your hand doesn’t get you a higher standing in Heaven. Many times, people are in such a rush for big numbers of “converts,” much like a salesman, that they don’t build spiritual bonds with each “seeker.” The seeker loses interest and moves on…or backwards. Then zero relationships with Christ are built, because a strong relationship wasn’t built with you, Christ’s representative.
Strategic Principle #4: Get to know personally who is interested in finding about you and your walk with Jesus. Build a spiritual relationship and a friendship with them. Again, conversion or Baptism isn’t the goal…a relationship of trust, founded in God, is. Lifelong friendships are built this way. Once a spirit of trust and respect has been forged, then introduce discussions of Jesus, Salvation, the Holy Spirit and the Kingdom of God, as it is comfortable and appropriate. This way, if and when they need help, or struggle with the Life, they can return to you for help. Because they have a relationship with you, Christ’s representative.
Strategic Principle #5: Don’t get too heavy or deep. There is no need to threaten, scare, or bewilder. The truth about Jesus is plain and simple. It can all be found in the Bible. You can interpret or “translate,” but the further you get from Scripture, the less credibility you have, and people in the Undergound are very wary of cults, dangerous groups, deception and unfounded ideologies. Simple, truthful, easy-to-remember is the best practice. Five years ago, you said the same exact thing as today…in five years you’ll have an even better way of saying the same exact thing. Because it’s the truth.
Strategic Principle #6: Don’t elevate yourself above the “seeker.” Don’t practice “mind control,” “influence,” “dominance,” or manipulation on someone who is seriously seeking spiritual help. Many in the Undergound have been scarred by religious parents or hypocritical churches; and we all have a common enemy in Televangelists, false-prophets who use influence to steal money. The Undergound was practically built to stand against these anti-Christians in the 1980’s.
Address this with the seeker. Give them back their power. Tell them of your own failings and weakness. Tell them you are only a bit further on the journey than they are. You stand beside them, not above them. You’re behind them, you “have their back.” This is an important concept in the Underground: having or covering someone’s back, helping them where they are weak or blind. This action determines true friends during battle; and in this spiritual war we are in, there is no better friend than someone you can trust with God and his mysterious way of working in our lives.
Strategic Principle #7: Follow-through. Be accessible. Get back to people. Answer messages, be eager to communicate. It is natural for your friends in faith to have questions, to get stuck, to get frustrated. The life of Christ is not easy; the Bible says it is actually more difficult than the way of the world. Someone who comes to Christ will still have needs, they will still need you to “have their back.” Think of it as a life-long journey with them, a life-long friendship; the beginning of an eternity in Heaven with God, through Jesus Christ. This is follow-through.
In this essay, I have explained the complex Context in which my “street ministry,” the Mission in the Underground, was born and was raised. I explained the issue of race, hatred and other spiritual darkness within the Undergound, and how the Cultural Exchange can address this. I also explained how the Theology taught in class relates to the Undergound as fare as race-relations go, and the crude but effective solution used by the community to combat racism.
Finally, I outlined seven Strategic Principles that are the tools used to build relationships of faith within the Underground. These principles are unorthodox, independent, radical; all words used to describe the community itself. By “speaking the language of the street,” the Cultural Exchange is authentic in its communication, and very effective in reaching those souls.
We all long for Heaven, most of us have to turn away from the hell in our own lives and in the lives of others to get there. Elevate a friend; not for numbers, or pride, but to be a servant, as Jesus Christ has called us to be.
