‘Hi Ren’: 'Screwtape Letters' for the Streaming Generation?
‘This is a soul splitting open and exploding into art.’ – Ari Grossman
I’ve been watching complete strangers shed tears, at a loss for words, or opening up about their own mental health struggles, prompted by their first viewing of one song.
I’ve been watching reactions to ‘Hi Ren’, a video performance by independent musician Ren. It’s a nine-minute exploration of the artist’s struggle with self-doubt – compelling in its delivery, deceptive sophistication, and raw honesty. By the end, we are in no doubt this is a life lived, not imagined.
What ‘Hi Ren’ does so well is explore the lie that we are constantly told by the world, the flesh, and the devil (1 John 2:15–17) – you’re not good enough, so just give up.
This article is one in a series (Connecting with Culture) from the the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity.