In an age where godliness is routinely sacrificed on the altar of secularism, a disturbing trend has unfurled its deceptive tendrils, even within sanctuaries, disguised as churches, meant to stand as fortresses of truth. An egregious example of this malaise is an article from Crossroads Church in Ohio titled Four Spiritual Laws from Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, which astonishingly, seeks to mine spiritual “gems” from the pop icon’s latest tour. This is not just some mere misjudgment, it’s a blatant revelation of a profound crisis in discernment, a symptom of a leadership seduced by the siren song of cultural relevance, forsaking the unassailable rock of Scripture for popular acclaim.

Let’s cut through the fog. Taylor Swift, despite her popular appeal, embodies and promotes ideologies diametrically opposed to Christian morality. Her vocal advocacy for abortion and LGBTQ+ rights flies in the face of Scripture as she lifts her proverbial middle finger to her Creator. Elevating such a prominent figure as some kind of paragon of spiritual enlightenment within a Christian context is not merely misguided—it’s an abdication of the church’s solemn duty to be a custodian of eternal truths.

Yet, this same “church” is hell-bent on feeding their goats the same poison over and over—and as you can see from the clip below of this church performing a Miley Cyrus “half-time” cover, the goats lap it up like it’s the end of the world.

The Apostle Paul, when confronted with these sorts of spectacles, would doubtlessly unleash a thunderous rebuke. His letters to the nascent churches were filled with stern warnings against conforming to the world’s mold and the peril of diluting the gospel to curry favor with the prevailing culture. Paul’s zeal for safeguarding the doctrinal purity of the church and his unwavering allegiance to Christ above all would brook no tolerance for leadership such as this that prizes popularity over biblical integrity.

This ill-conceived endeavor to extract spiritual insights from pop music spectacles betrays a deeper malady—a leadership more captivated by the glitter of celebrity than the genuine, life-altering power of the gospel. It’s a leadership that, in its hunger for validation and fear of obsolescence, has abandoned the true bread of life, leading its flock into a wilderness of confusion rather than guiding them to the living waters of truth.

The church is not called to dissect the cultural zeitgeist but to declare the Word of God with boldness, to shine as a lighthouse of hope in a world ensnared by darkness. When its shepherds swap the mantle of godly authority for the fleeting allure of relevance, they not only neglect their sacred duty but mislead those entrusted to their care. The flock of Christ deserves leaders who are more preoccupied with honoring God than pandering to the crowd, shepherds who draw their strength not from the ephemeral glow of fame but from the enduring light of Scripture.

The quest for relevance at the cost of scriptural fidelity is a mirage. A church that finds Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, or Garth Brooks more compelling figures than Jesus Christ has clearly had its lampstand removed and has exchanged the priceless treasure of the gospel for the tawdry trinkets of worldly recognition.