Are we really at the point where the Gospel needs a pop star co-sign to feel relevant?
That question hangs over a viral sermon recently highlighted by the New York Post, in which a Catholic priest built a homily around a Taylor Swift song. It is also the same question many believers are asking as modern evangelicalism increasingly trades repentance for relevance.
A Viral Sermon Built on Pop Culture
According to the New York Post, Rev. Eric Mah went viral after preaching a sermon centered on Swift’s song “The Fate of Ophelia,” using it as an analogy for rejection, heartbreak and eventual healing. Mah later admitted, “It’s definitely been my most-viewed homily.”
In the sermon, Mah explained that Swift used the tragic Shakespearean character Ophelia as a metaphor for her past dating life, then concluded with a reassuring message for listeners. “Just know, you are always accepted by the Messiah. You are always loved by God,” he said.
It is also worth asking a basic question in this framing. When Taylor Swift writes about hope, healing and a broken heart being restored, she is not referencing God, repentance or redemption through Christ. The source of healing in the song is romance, not the Lord. Jesus is not the center of that healing, nor was He ever intended to be.
So why is a priest presenting a romantic narrative as a pathway to spiritual hope? Scripture teaches that restoration comes from God alone, not from emotional fulfillment in another person, no matter how relatable or well-packaged the message may be.
Yes, Mah attempts to circle the message back to God, but that is precisely where the deception lies. The sermon elevates Taylor Swift, an artist whose music videos and imagery repeatedly lean into New Age and occult symbolism. Then it wraps that promotion in a thin theological appeal about God loving everyone, which, of course, is true. The problem is not the statement itself, but the way it is used. God’s love is invoked to sanctify a cultural message that was never rooted in Christ to begin with.
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When Relevance Replaces Repentance
What stands out is not only what was said, but what was missing.
There was little emphasis on repentance, sin or the cost of following Christ. Instead, the focus rested squarely on emotional affirmation, cultural familiarity and relatability. This approach is increasingly common across modern evangelical churches, where sermons are designed less to convict hearts and more to keep attention.
The Gospel’s first command is not “feel accepted,” but “repent and believe” (Mark 1:15). Repentance, however, rarely trends. Relevance does.
From Swiftie Sermons to Super Bowl Spectacles
The Swift sermon fits neatly into a wider evangelical pattern. During Super Bowl season, some megachurch pastors have famously punted a Bible through football goalposts on stage to illustrate a point—while other churches brand sermon series around blockbuster movies, viral trends or celebrity culture.
The unspoken assumption is clear. Scripture on its own is no longer seen as sufficient to hold people.
Are we really at the point where the Word of God needs theatrics to compete with Sunday night football?
Meeting People Where They Are, or Staying There?
Mah told the Post that evangelization involves “meeting people where they’re at” and tapping into “something which is already captivating your intended audience.” That phrase has become a rallying cry in modern evangelicalism.
But Scripture never instructs the church to anchor itself in what captivates the world. Romans 12:2 calls believers to be transformed, not entertained. The church’s role is not to echo culture back to itself, but to confront it with truth, even when that truth is uncomfortable.
When sermons revolve around pop icons and sports metaphors, the message subtly shifts. Christ becomes an add-on rather than the foundation.
Applause Is Not a Measure of Faithfulness
The New York Post noted the overwhelmingly positive reaction from Swift fans, many of whom expressed excitement and admiration for the sermon’s approach. Mah even said he hoped Swift herself might eventually see it.
Scripture, however, consistently warns against measuring success by popularity. “Woe to you when all men speak well of you,” Jesus said (Luke 6:26). The early church grew through truth and persecution, not viral moments and cultural approval.
If the Gospel no longer offends, challenges or calls for repentance, it has been reshaped into something safer and far less powerful.
A Casual Gospel for a Comfortable Church
From Swiftie sermons to Super Bowl stunts, the trend is impossible to ignore. The sacred is becoming casual. The pulpit is becoming a stage. Theology is being wrapped in culture instead of culture being submitted to Scripture.
Are we really at this point?
If the answer is yes, then the issue is not creativity or communication style. It is whether the modern church still believes the Gospel is sufficient on its own, or whether it now needs celebrities, gimmicks and relevance to make Christ worth listening to.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine.
