Chase The Christians!

It was an "Ah-ha!" moment for me a few months ago. It might be obvious to you. I'm sometimes a bit slow to arrive at very simple conclusions-just ask my wife. My "ah-ha!" moment, which could inspire your "No duh" response: Christian music radio should be excited to target Christians.

You're already there? Awesome. But maybe you're not as "there" as you think. You could be like I was once was: content to have Christians along for the ride because it's their support that fuels us, but ultimately wishing our formats could be powerful outreach tools. To be even more honest: I've been ungrateful and occasionally resentful towards certain types of Christians in my audience. Such as the ones who go out of their way to point out what we do wrong, but are mute when we're on point (they LOVE speaking up near fundraisers, amiright?).

My rationalization game went something like, "Well, I know we need Christians to survive, but hopefully if nothing else, I'll help our brand-appeal to the Christians who wear the label, but don't live the life." Judge-y much, Mr. Couchman? In my mind, if we were compelling and relevant to "those people," then we were probably right next door to being attractive to the non-Christians we all want to save.

The comments section changed my mind. It was shortly after Air1 revamped their format earlier this year. Their "Christian" listeners were merciless and tactless as they attacked Air1 on the station's Facebook page. My immediate reaction was "see, God? These are MY brothers and sisters? Really? We follow the same Christ? Not possible!" They were the kinds of Christian listeners I have always been resigned to tolerate, and I was again bitter that we had to pander to them at the expense of reaching "the lost."

It's not a trade off though. I discovered this when I stupidly decided to engage. What was I thinking? One of Air1's disgruntled fans decided to use the 'worship' focus to also vent about why Lauren Daigle is bound for damnation and leading us all on a path to legalized gay marriage and pot-smoking unicorns. In the heat of the moment, I lobbed some Bible verses at her like any good Christian would. She was having none of it. I was powerless to defend Air1 or help her see Lauren Daigle as a fellow believer.

And bingo! The "Ah-ha" lightning strike in my brain...me FINALLY hearing what God has been trying to teach me for a couple of decades. That whole slow to arrive at simple conclusions thing. My Air1/Lauren Daigle-bashing sister on Facebook WAS "the lost." Or to put it another way: lots of Christians are just as lost as people who've never set foot in a church or prayed the magic salvation prayer. We embrace, inherit, or endure the Christian label but do little to advance the life Christ calls us to.

I haven't been back to Air1's Facebook page since that moment of epiphany. But I've been dumb enough to click into the comments on Babylon Bee posts (is "satire" a four-letter word to these people?), and I'm quite observant at how we Christians mingle our politics and faith together in some strange ways. I've also, of course, enjoyed well-intended feedback from listeners of my own stations. I use "enjoyed" VERY loosely here. All of it reinforces my bombshell realization that my brothers and sisters in Christ are equally in need of God's ongoing redemption as those who would never label themselves as Believers.

Who better to guide them from lost to Loved and Loving than us? The air talents, performers, and gatekeepers they view as friends? Today, instead of tolerating "those pesky Christians," I'm eager to serve them. I'm excited God allows me-as lost as I still am-to help point to Jesus. Not by being preachy or dropping scripture bombs, but by modeling the fruits of the spirit.

Encourage each other with Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19).

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called "today," so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness (Hebrews 3:13).

These verses have become alive for me since the "ah-ha" moment. I'm done grudgingly enduring fellow Christians. I no longer see "preaching to the choir" as an unwelcome chore. I'm honored to DJ for them.

And when it comes to "reaching the lost?" When we embrace our roles as loving guides and friends to our own kind...if we can truly excel at it and avoid the distractions and divisions placed in our way, the result will speak for itself.

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:34-35)

May our love speak loudest of all, on-air and off.