Relevant Magazine
May 2019
Relevant Magazine
Strang, Cameron. "Almost There." Relevant Magazine. May/June 2019. Relevant Media Group.
Relevant Magazine is a publication that knows exactly what it is. It is nestled comfortably in the intersection of faith and culture - seeking to find Jesus in current cultural issues and seeking to educate a Christian audience on nuanced conversations, fighting for a style of Christianity that seeks humanity, love and understanding before it seeks power or comfort.
Their mandate could not be more clearly seen in their interview with Ben Higgins, a controversial figure in Christianity because his stardom was born from his role in The Bachelor. Now he is the CEO of a non-profit that sells coffee and sends all of it’s profit directly into social programs, he speaks of the confusion he feels at being accused of “not being a Christian” because of his time on The Bachelor: “Are we afraid that Jesus isn’t somewhere? That’s my question. Do we actually believe Jesus is present at all times within us and between us? If that’s the case, there’s no place on this earth we should be scared to enter into and fearful of learning from.”
Not only do they take the time to talk to Ben Higgins, they also have interviews with Tony Hale, and Teraji P Henson - two Hollywood actors who do not play “Christian roles” but nevertheless claim that their deep faith and an intimate walk with Jesus is the only reason that they are able to be in the positions they are in, whether that is playing neurotic man-children (Tony Hale in Arrested Development) or efficient assassins (Teraji P. Henson in Proud Mary). Even in articles with more recognizable faith leaders, such as Joel Houston from the band Hillsong United, Relevant Magazine is looking for the deeper conversation and invites Houston to speak honestly about his struggles in his faith and songwriting after such a long tenure as one of the most influential worship leaders of a generation.
The diversity of topics in this issue of Relevant Magazine challenges the popular opinion of “what it means to be a Christian in this day and age”. The magazine does not offer surface level platitudes, but goes a step further by always seeking deeper conversations - it is not a magazine interested in the latest health craze or in the most recent scandal - it is a magazine that is seeking to understand the soul behind a cultural headline. Sometimes that soul points to Jesus, sometimes it comes as a deeply personal article from someone who doesn’t profess the Christian faith. But what it always shows is that behind a cultural movement there are people who want to make the world a better place. That fact alone is enough to make Relevant Magazine stand out as a fearless publication, boldly offering hope in a culture that so often wants to sell fear, and trying to find out what unites us instead of raking in the profit to be found by widening the cultural divide.