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An excerpt from an article from the print version of Relevant Magazine. One of the greatest hindrances to the growth and maturity of the average believer has been the creation and marketing of an alternative to popular culture that has identified itself as being Christian. This alternative has become so widespread and successful that we now can accurately call it a subculture. It's ironic and in some ways tragic that the thing we thought would help us has hurt us so much. The tragedy is that many people will not notice the danger of a Christian subculture because of the helpfulness of much of which has been created, and because of the goodness of the intent. Christian music helps us worship. Christian radio connects us with other believers and gives us reminders that help us think about God all day long. Christian fiction entertains us with values that are noble. Christian bookstores are cities of refuge in a hostile world where one can find like-minded believers and numerous helps for faith and practical living. Then there are the jobs the Christian subculture has provided for believers who sincerely want to make a lasting difference in the world, and the platforms it has erected for those, including myself, who might not otherwise have an audience. Because of this, I honestly struggle to make any critical statements about the Christian subculture because I am aware of the fact that Christian products and services have helped many believers, and many others have been introduced to Christ through it. There is also the knowledge that the infrastructure of Christian popular media, products and services is not going to go away any time soon, regardless of what I or anyone else says or thinks. In fact, the sales and marketing of Christian products are increasing-it is one of the few industries actually growing in these difficult economic times. Having said all this, however, I must still point out that the Christian subculture can be dangerous to faith. That danger comes in the form of what C.S. Lewis has referred to as the good being the enemy of the best. The Christian subculture can be shown to be good and valuable, but is it the best? Is it possibly hindering something better? To the extent that it does, it is the enemy of the best. In his article, "Getting Out of the Christian Ghetto" in this issue, Dan Buck observes that much of the Christian subculture is merely "adding spiritual language into things that are actually spiritual because they are part of the human experience God has created," the operative words being "actually spiritual." The reason the spiritual language of the subculture is so dangerous is that if we think it is the language, or some other mystical/spiritual connection or blessing inherent in a Christian thing, that has made it spiritual, then we lose our drive and need to find God outside the confines of what qualifies for the Christian label. We start to trust the labels and not flex our own spiritual muscle. We are not training ourselves to find God wherever we look-whatever we are doing. In fact, we are actually training people to distrust everything that does not carry the label. We are no longer looking for God; we are counting on someone else to provide Him for us in terms relevant to our culture. It is similar to kosher food needing the sanction of the rabbi when the food that was given by God was good already. The tragedy is that there was something Christian about aerobics before it became Christian aerobics; there was something Christian about music before it became Christian music; there was something Christian about people connecting on the radio and in stores before we had Christian radio and Christian bookstores. But now that we have "Christian" so clearly defined, it makes it harder to find God anywhere else. We assume the language makes it Christian and stop using our spiritual insights to find God and his truth in other ways. All this Christian stuff really is good. But what would be even better would be Christians who can worship God while watching anything, when walking into any store, while reading any book, and pursuing any vocation. The best would be to not have more great Christian things but more people who are great Christians without needing Christian things to define them or help them along. So what do we do? Well my suggestion, because the Christian subculture is not going to go away anytime soon, and because there are good things about it that can be affirmed, is that we simply start doing the better thing and consciously look for God outside of those things that are labeled Christian. I am saying that we need both the good and the best. The good only becomes the enemy of the best when it becomes a substitute for it. The Christian subculture is not all that is Christian about the world. I'm very aware of how careful I need to be here. In fact, I met the people at RELEVANT magazine at the Christian Booksellers Association convention this summer in Anaheim. I wouldn't be writing this column now had we never made that connection and it is one aspect of what we commonly call the Christian subculture that provided that opportunity. The important thing is not to stop there. I think the matter, at least for now, is to recognize the good and keep pursuing the best. My encouragement would be to take the good and make it useful towards the best-the best being the ongoing growth of those who are looking for God all the time and finding Him, with or without the labels or the help of a Christian subculture.