It's OK to Be Happy for Taylor Swift
“Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.” 7.4 Million likes in under an hour.
“Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.” – Romans 12:15
Despite the prevalence of highlight reels begging for likes and comments, our genuine reaction (even behind a like or a nice comment) is negative. We compare, judge, gasp, “did you see that,” and poke fun. It’s what we do. But it’s not supposed to be what we do. One of my daughters states that the reason she loves her friends so much is that they say nice things to each other. My response was, “Is that not normal?” I was met with the Gen Z stare.
Biblically, we’re supposed to be happy for each other. We can be happy for other people because we have experienced the grace and mercy of God. It’s free. We are free to love people.
This article has frankly been spinning around in my brain since the second time I listened to Taylor on the New Heights Podcast. I’m from Cleveland, so leave me alone. It makes me feel so high school, and I love it. My daughters and I watched the podcast live when they broke the internet, and then I circled back for another listen. This is why.
“Anything you feed your brain it will internalize. Anything you feed the Internet it will kill.”
Taylor is right. It’s the same thing I’ve been telling my daughters since they could understand the concept. Frankly, I’m not sure any of us grasp it in full context. What the internet does to our brains, our relationships, our lives. She’s correct, “We live in such a social media moment …” Don’t build your life on a moment …don’t give the moments of your life to social media. It’s not real. The Bible talks a lot about chaff in the wind and about avoiding storing up treasures on earth because it’s not what matters most.
My youngest never made it to “Shake it Off” at the Detroit show for the 1989 Tour. Curled up in her seat, legs tucked up into an Adult Small Taylor concert shirt, wrist band blinking away … She didn’t miss a second of the Reputation Tour at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The day the Factory of Sadness wasn’t so sad. It was filled to the brim with Swifties, bracelets lighting up the night. The Eras Tour allowed us to experience something profound. We walked the streets of Detroit, trading bracelets with fans, bonding over how nice it felt to share a common bond of kindness again after the dark and distant pandemic years. Fans fully dressed in all of the eras, all ages …the concert was a work of art, from start to finish. All the moments flashed through my mind during those hours, from my little tinies singing Taylor from their minivan carseats, to now, belting out so many lyrics they have authentically lived through themselves, and genuinely relate to. As do I. From little girls to young women. It’s a moment shared with my daughters I won’t soon forget, belting out those notes beyond generational gaps.
Taylor probably has some fatal flaws I don’t know about, but, as Christians, we know that not one of us has our crap together. Not one. (Romans 3:23)
I’ve not seen Taylor’s music have a negative effect on my daughters. It's not what grounds us. More than anything, we are a Jesus fam. We were a big part of our church’s kids ministry when they were little, especially the kids’ worship team. We understand the importance of prayer, praying for people we may never meet in this life and for those right within our reach. We understand the importance of speaking the truth …in love. If there is an opportunity to share the gospel, we seize it …in love. It’s a love not of this world. My oldest daughter and I traveled to quite a far corner of it on a mission trip to love people, to help people, and to tell them about Jesus.
What I love the most about Jesus is that He is quick to remind us to love above all else. Jesus' best friend John recorded these words of Jesus:
“This is my command. Love each other.” – John 15:12
I do this with my daughters. I love them regardless. My youngest used to lie flat on her back in protest when she was two. Dead weight in the cereal aisle …I loved her, regardless. Through all of the mood swings, annoyances, and trials that come alongside raising kids …I have loved them. I’ll never understand what qualifies one person’s struggle for sympathy, and another’s for criticism. How sometimes we rally around someone whose heart has been broken, and other times, pile on criticism onto it. The sweetest scene I ever beheld was my daughter’s friend pricking her finger over FaceTime when my oldest was in the hospital, newly diagnosed with T1D. The worst …when she was made fun of for talking about her disease too much, or accused of not having enough faith to heal it. The apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians:
“Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.”
I've been a part of a lot of denominations in my lifetime, and I see how we often let differences distract us from what's most important. Love ...seeing the good in people. We aren’t going to find the perfect role model in this world. Loving people hurts because we let each other down. We hurt each other. It happens. Even to Taylor. One who checks all of the heavenly boxes doesn’t exist on this earth. Only Jesus did that. We all have rough edges, we all deal with sadness, and we all make mistakes. I want to see people the way God sees them, because focusing on all of the critical things is just too depressing. I would rather let someone walk off of their own proverbial bridge than waste time on what’s wrong with them. It’s really none of my business.
I will follow my fierce girls everywhere. They are getting ready to launch into the world now, believing they can accomplish their dreams with hard work …and have fun doing it. They will open the door, and I will be there, cheering them on. It’ll happen. We’re Swifties. We know how to encourage each other. We talk about all of the things. We process all of the emotions. Most of all, we love Jesus, who is love, personified.
The sweetest thing about having teenage daughters is that now, when I am having a hard day, they turn on my favorite movie and hug me until I am ok. Precious humans. I am so blessed to have a front row seat in their lives. And that’s what parenting teaches us. We are spectators, at best. All of our efforts, which are magnificent, are nothing compared to the amount of love God has for them. He’s created them so specifically…it’s incredible to watch it all unfold. As I stare at my eldest’s Senior year in High School now, my daily life feels like an emotional Taylor Swift song. (Really, the pic of her and her best friend since Kindergarten at Senior Sunrise yesterday …broken dam.)
It's ok to be happy for Taylor. We are spectators of her life. God isn’t going to be disappointed in us for loving her from that angle. In fact, I think He’d be more disappointed in us if we didn’t. She’s someone’s daughter, friend, and love. She’s a singer, writer, and a million other things that make her uniquely her, just like there are a million things that make you uniquely you. This is the way the world was created …by a really good God …who implores us to put love first. It's spiritually healthy to be happy for people. The ones you know and the ones you don’t. To pray for people. To tell them where your joy comes from and why. Speaking the truth is important. Sharing the gospel is important. Do it in love.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Ezra Shaw / Staff
Originally published August 27, 2025.
