My good friend and pastor Joseph Bonifacio wrote a very interesting piece regarding the call of Christians to cancel Lady Gaga’s concert here in Manila since Lady Gaga is bringing forth a different kind of spirit and is known as a devil worshiper.

I received a text before leaving for Indonesia calling churches to come against Lady Gaga. Now before I continue, I would like to say that I have never seen any of her videos or her song but what I do know is that she has influenced the younger generation deeply with her words, songs and fashion.

So when someone asked me to go and fight against the concert of Lady Gaga, I sensed that the church is fighting the wrong battle. Now there are also implications if Lady Gaga does have her concert here since Korea and Indonesia banned her from having a concert in their country.It could imply that:

1. The Philippines is numb to the blasphemous lyrics and acts of Lady Gaga that has penetrated even the youth in our churches.

The church has been living in a state of denial. Our young people is not where they are supposed to be spiritually and in fact ask most of your young people if they have watched a video of Lady Gaga and most of them would say yes.

What I am saying is that we have to be more pro-active. When was the last time we have invested heavily in young people. Does our ministry budget mirror our heart for the next generation. How many next generation leaders are invited to be part of the church board or if not being asked for consultations in how we can reach the next generation.

2. The church is in a mode of reacting rather than being pro-active in spreading the gospel.

For the longest time our nation and even our church has been in a reactive stand rather than making measures of changing our culture. We have to do our job as a church to actively make disciples and preach the gospel with power and for pastors and churches to unite together not to protest concerts but to strategize on how we can spread the message of the gospel in our cities.

I am for praying that Lady Gaga’s concert won’t push through in the Philippines and I am really praying for that but I also know that when her concert is not cancelled it does not in a way affect what is already in us and what abounds in Philippine culture.

Abortions would continue to increase, sexual immorality will still spread like wildfire and sin cannot be stopped if we continue doing  just what we are doing as a collective church in the Philippines.

We have to start championing the next generation. We have to put in more of our resources in discipling the next generation. We have to be more pro-active rather than reactive. As older people pray for Lady Gaga’s concert to be stopped, our young people continue to plug in their earphones and listen to her message whether in concert or in mp3.

What I pray and suggest is that both generations – young and old work together in building God’s church. For the older generation to run with the younger generation and for the younger generation to humble themselves and let older men lead with them.

For revival to happen – it takes more than protesting a concert. It takes a national effort of unity among churches, next generation leaders being empowered and the gospel being preached in its full glory.

Protesting is easy. Discipleship and Unity is costly. Are we willing to pay the price?