by Maddy Mandall
If you aren’t aware, Taylor Swift has recently been playing shows in Melbourne and Sydney in the midst of her world tour. A world tour that has become a social phenomenon almost unparalleled in its media exposure and hype. Over three nights in Melbourne alone, 290,000 people gathered to watch her play, with thousands more cradling the disappointment of missing out on tickets. Her popularity continues to soar, and honestly, while I respect her ‘staying power’ in the music industry – I also struggle to fully understand it! Her music is fun mainstream pop/country, her songs are catchy tunes sung from the mouth of a sweet young woman, a woman who has battled adversity in her career and overcome. But it’s the staggering magnitude of her fame that continues to boggle my mind!
I read an article recently in the ABC titled “Why the feeling of belonging is just as important as Taylor Swift’s music” – and it piqued my interest. The article listed Swift’s world tour stats and admired the general mania that surrounds her – but it focussed more on the fan base than the actual singer. The author Norman Hermant writes, “Swift’s albums have been blowing up readily but it’s not just albums blowing up. You don’t have to be around the Swifties [vernacular for the T-Swizzle fan club] for long to realise how large the community is. And if there’s one characteristic the fans appreciate the most, it’s knowing they will be accepted by other Swifties”.
Taylor Swift fans are die. hard. There have been fan events held in the lead up to these shows to make the patented Swifty friendship bracelets together and watch the stars documentary Miss Americana. The University of Melbourne Swifties’ Society has 500 members!! The article I read had multiple testimonies from young people who have taken deep solace in the community of fans.
And my mind couldn’t help but wonder… how is a hoard of pop music fans doing what the church should be doing… better? That line from Hermant rings in my ears: “And if there’s one characteristic the fans appreciate the most, it’s knowing they will be accepted by other Swifties”. I don’t know about you – but I would love it if the ABC were releasing articles saying things like, “And if there’s one characteristic that people appreciate the most, it’s knowing they will be accepted by the church”.
I know this isn’t exactly a like-for-like comparison – there is a difference between rallying around an appealing person and their music and people accepting the gospel and walking their life in the ways of Jesus… but I definitely think it’s food for thought. These fans have spent hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to attend these shows. They’ve stayed up until the early hours of the morning, standing in the dark by airports just to try and catch a glimpse of someone. They feel a deep sense of belonging, comradery, and love in a group of people drawn together by one person. And there’s a challenge for us as believers, and us together as the church in that.
How deep, how wild, how loud, and how devoted is our love for Jesus? Are we willing sacrifice our money, time, and relational energy for him? Are we so in love with Jesus that anyone who walks into our midst as the Church is overwhelmed by love and acceptance? Is our love for each other in the church fuelled and held together but what we have in common in Jesus?
I believe Jesus is infinitely more worth following than Taylor Swift, and I want his church to be a place where people feel just as much belonging than they do in a Swiftie fan club. We may not have friendship bracelets; our music might sound a little different, but we have someone worth uniting around that will never fail. Whose ‘staying power’ far outweighs anything we’ve known here on earth. Paul’s words in Colossians ring in my ears as I contemplate all this: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” The picture of this community is beautiful, safe, encouraging, and challenging (in the best way). How amazing would it be to see articles in the ABC written about revival in our country that has drawn people into a community of faith that worship the name above every other name, where life transformations . Wouldn’t that be something?
Maddy Mandall is the Leadership Development Manager at QLD Baptists. She has been a local church pastor, a tutor in preaching at Malyon Theological College, and a barista. She is still a serious coffee lover, it’s her 3rd love after Jesus and her husband Tom. She is also passionate about seeing others follow Jesus passionately and grow in their faith.