Filmmaker and entertainment critic Socrate Safo has challenged the idea that a musician must have a spotless personal life before performing inspirational songs in a church.
The entertainment pundit argued that churches should not focus so much on the person delivering a message that they overlook the message itself.
During a discussion on the Gentlemen and Gentlemen podcast, Safo disagreed with the suggestion that the vessel carrying the message must necessarily be clean, using a biblical account of how Jesus was criticised for associating with people considered sinners.
“The son of man come eating and drinking, and they say, here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners,” he said, referring to Matthew 11:19.
Safo noted that the Pharisees criticised Jesus for spending time with people they did not regard as righteous.
He compared that criticism to how some Christians view secular musicians invited to perform inspirational songs in churches.
“Just like Halifax (his co-panellist) will go and bring somebody you are perceiving to be a gentile, a musician, aiming to come and preach,” he said.
According to Safo, identifying a musician as secular should not automatically make their presence in a church unacceptable, particularly when they use their music to communicate the gospel.
