“I have a difficult time locating any similarities between what Jesus says and does, and what the people – in particular the organizers – said and did... Jesus is a beacon of righteousness who leads the way through a dark world to eternal peace, love and eternal salvation; the Jesus of [the festival’s organizers] is a blue-light special, pointing you to the quick fix of a righteous bargain in the shopping mall of endless consumption.

These are two versions of Christ, and the premises they entail, are antithetical. They negate one another, leading me to a very unsettling, unpleasant conclusion about [the festival]: It was, in the end, a very un-Christian affair."

Mr. Levin was harsh in his criticism of the festival. Unfortunately, I’m afraid he wasn’t altogether wrong. He was unnerved by the vast consumerism evident at the festival, with musicians and speakers promoting their products. I find nothing inherently wrong with a gathering of Christians for the purpose of wholesome entertainment, worship and praise. I find nothing inherently wrong with artists and others promoting their Christian products. But, when the world peers into our subculture and most noticeably sees commercialism –and not Jesus – something is wrong!

An important aspect of our calling as Christ-followers is to point people to Jesus through our words, our behaviors and yes, even through our Christian subculture. Today, as individuals, let’s take some time to evaluate what our lives and words are communicating about Jesus to the world around us in order to make sure the message we send is the message we intend.

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GOING DEEPER: