I am a pastors kid, so naturally i am supposed to love every song that comes on Christian radio.  However, my entire life i have been surrounded by the type of people that could only be defined as "music snobs."  From my sisters, to my closest friends, even to my wife the people that have always been the closest to me have always held a strong dislike, albeit hate for mainstream Christian music. 

Now I know my personal taste in music pushes me away from the sound of CCM's top 40 (aside from worship, i listen to worship pretty much all day).  Occasionally I am annoyed at the amount of cliche's used in the lyrics and music of mainstream Christian music, but then again the itunes top 10 songs are completely cliche in secular music as well.  Though i am naturally hesitant with what i listen to i like to be aware of that which our students are listening.

Recently one of our young youth leaders gave me a brand new CD by Skillet entitled "Awaken".  I have heard over and over our students talk about how amazing this CD is so i thought i would give it a try.  Not only as a pastors kid, but being that i am a youth pastor this CD should be one of my favorites.  However, upon inserting it in my CD player I realized I'd heard a few of the songs already on our local Christian radio station and these were the songs that quickly caused me to reach for the tuner to change the station.  After listening to the CD all the way through i realized Skillet just wasnt for me. Upon the youth leader asking me what i thought i politely told him it had some catchy stuff in it (this wasnt a lie, very true) but that it wasn't really my favorite style of music.  He understood.

So often the differences we have as Christians divide us as we look down on one another for personal likes or dislikes. Eph. 4:2 says, "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." Sometimes being gentle and bearing with one another in love means respecting the different tastes of others.  Whether it's in the form of a skillet CD, a Christian T-shirt that says, GAP "God Answers PRayer", or reading the latest Ted Dekker book.   Instead of looking down on people we might consider less educated or less cultured let's celebrate our differences, celebrate that others have drawn closer to God through something they truly enjoy (whether it sounds like junk or not, haha).

Celebrating our differences pt. 2 coming soon.