Recently I found myself admiring things that are called ‘hip’. Moreover, I grew to admire the people doing the calling. They prefer not to be known as anything in particular. However they can be identified by both their following and their detractors as “hipsters”. Hipsters belong to an unofficial network of bloggers, journalists, and niche aficionados who search and scour the globe, and the web for new and progressive culture. They can be stereotyped by their urban style, the music they do and don’t listen to, their zeal for the unique in all areas of life. They receive praise for their creative minds and passion for a counterculture that restores the human element to all areas of life. Hipsters collectively attach this buzzing adjective by their actions to the things that resonate loudly from their pitchfork of cool.
More than a year ago I stood squarely outside this subculture and admired all of its trends without understanding the heart of it. Shortly thereafter I became a trendspotter; one who thoughtlessly adopts whatever is projected from the collective center of cool-dom. I was a cool consumer. I loved the idea of being praised by my new found soul-mates and subconsciously loathed the praise that came from those who clearly were not. I failed to understand that the heart of this movement is led by those who desperately want to rid their lives of the mechanical, plastic, and meaningless output of mainstream culture.
These leaders are neither consumers nor purveyors of a new and attractive trend. They are generators of the truly cool. James Deans in their own right. Their passions are not driven by the always changing trends of anti-establishment nor the goal to be on the cutting edge. In fact, they probably hate being identified by their commercialized drones.
I was a drone. I was on the edge of my toes watching the horizon for the next thing… before it got big. Then I noticed an attitude of discontentment quickly coming from all of my latest “discoveries”. This is coming from a person who believes that Jesus Christ satisfies all of the soul’s desires. Don’t get me wrong, He does. However, like anyone with a heartbeat, my own sinfulness got the best of me. I was driven to find the next thing that would temporarily give me the feeling of being “on top” which I somehow wrongly associated with being content.
This movement is not all bad. I believe their are many leaders within this subculture who, with their passion and creativity, are beginning create inroads which have the capacity to demonstrate the gaping holes in a consumer-driven society. I pray that we, as believers in Christ, would herald this strength, follow in their path and be bold enough to lovingly share that it is Christ who fills these gaping holes. Not as a satisfying object of consumption, but as a personal loving God, who is glorified most by our reveling in His glory.
In the end, I believe that the spirit of ingenuity that follows those who aren’t afraid to march to the beat of their own drum is a good thing. The burden for me, is to watch that I am not blindly following any drummer, but carefully considering which, if any, of the beats I hear I should follow.
