#JesusIsKing #YouAint
I went to sleep at 5:00am this morning.
I may or may not have been waiting for Kanye to drop his album (since he gave us a midnight deadline). I may or may not have been unconsciously doped up on adrenaline from yesterday's activities. All I know is that I tried to go to sleep but I couldn't, at least until 5:00 this morning. Ha!
Nevertheless, #JesusIsKing is here...and boy is it here. I've seen a spectrum of reactions. I've seen the #CancelKanye people. I've seen the #ImGoodLuvEnjoy people....and I've seen the people who are totally stoked about Kanye giving the world a taste of his conspicuous art.
I basically anticipated all of those reactions. What I didn't expect (although I should've), is the oddly shallow responses of some of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
Let me preface this with some backstory. I've been following "Kanye Sunday Services" since before his pop-up service at Coachella over Easter Weekend. I was, of course, moved by the talent of the choir and musicians, but I was more captivated by the words I heard. They were literally speaking biblical truths and I thought, "Man! Imagine what this could do for the Kingdom." At the time, a lot of people were calling what Kanye was doing a "cult." The matching uniforms, the harmonies, the overwhelming sense of unison sort of rubbed people the wrong way.
I hated that perspective.
I don't know how many conversations I had with people defending what Kanye was doing. "How do we know God isn't changing him?"..."Doesn't Kanye have a right to praise God, too?"...."Doesn't God reign over the just and the unjust?"..."I mean, c'mon...listen to what he's saying."
I'd followed the mental health stuff and was adamant and vocal that only God could save him. I wanted to believe that THIS was THAT moment. I soooo wanted to believe that God was creating a new Kanye, one that could be used to transform lives through culture and ultimately for the success of God's kingdom.
*in comes Jesus is King*
First off, of course the album is musically hot...it's Kanye...he's a genius. We know that.
Most importantly though, and what I caught onto first, are the lyrics. He declares some biblical truths that only believers hold dear to their hearts...i.e. his acknowledgment of his former ways, his longing to do/be better through Christ, his awareness of his imperfections...and also his leeriness of other "Christians" tendencies when new Christians come along (#HandsOn).
In the song "Hands On," Ye is LITERALLY crying out for his family (the body of Christ) to pray for him, all the while acknowledging that some family members' responses will be the complete opposite. What's crazy is that many professing "Christians" literally clothed themselves in the leeriness that Ye speaks of in the track.
These are the types of comments that REALLY got me. Out of EVERYTHING that you can get from the album, I saw MULTIPLE individuals...(professing "CHRISTIANS," not music critics at XXL Mag) bash the album because of the sound. It wasn't "churchy" enough. Why didn't he use the Sunday Service Choir more? It was too "funkadelic." I even saw a comment that questioned why he released a gospel "rap" album (I don't know...maybe because he's a rapper...)
What are we doing here?!?! Do we not see this incredible move of God?!?!
To my beloved sisters and brothers in Christ, God has given us a pan-scale opportunity to change the narrative of "The Prodigal Son" on the backdrop of a modern-day society. In the parable (Luke 15:11-32), the "prodigal" son left home and came back only to be met with shallow comments from his brother, the "good" son.
Let me be frank. A lot of y'all sound like the older brother, just as shallow as a foot of water. This man is professing his new found faith in YOUR God and the ONLY thing you can talk about is some missing riffs and harmonies...really? SHALLOOOOOOW!
Now, I know some of you will say,"Okay...it's art. He put it out. So, naturally the audience will critique it."
All of that is true...but at some point you have to elevate the discussion. You're not merely a member of a prescribed audience...if you call yourself a "Christian," then you MUST acknowledge that you are occupying a moment where your brother is coming back home. We have a duty, an obligation to support our brother, to write a modern, more perfect response to the "prodigal son" coming home.
Now, I'm not saying that you have to defend him to all ends, or that you have to treat him like God...or anything like that. I'm simply asking, have you considered the Kingdom?
How are you reacting to your brothers coming home? Just in general...beyond Kanye.
Are you excited, running to him with open arms or are you being so shallow as to reduce your commentary to the sound of his music...or the look of his clothes, or the length of her skirt?
What's your priority?
We have to do this differently. Stop being so snobby and realize that none of us fit the category of the "good son." Only Jesus is...and the way salvation is set up, everybody...and by "everybody" I mean ANY BODY....can get a piece because...
#JesusIsKing
#YouAint
I may or may not have been waiting for Kanye to drop his album (since he gave us a midnight deadline). I may or may not have been unconsciously doped up on adrenaline from yesterday's activities. All I know is that I tried to go to sleep but I couldn't, at least until 5:00 this morning. Ha!
Nevertheless, #JesusIsKing is here...and boy is it here. I've seen a spectrum of reactions. I've seen the #CancelKanye people. I've seen the #ImGoodLuvEnjoy people....and I've seen the people who are totally stoked about Kanye giving the world a taste of his conspicuous art.
I basically anticipated all of those reactions. What I didn't expect (although I should've), is the oddly shallow responses of some of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
Let me preface this with some backstory. I've been following "Kanye Sunday Services" since before his pop-up service at Coachella over Easter Weekend. I was, of course, moved by the talent of the choir and musicians, but I was more captivated by the words I heard. They were literally speaking biblical truths and I thought, "Man! Imagine what this could do for the Kingdom." At the time, a lot of people were calling what Kanye was doing a "cult." The matching uniforms, the harmonies, the overwhelming sense of unison sort of rubbed people the wrong way.
I hated that perspective.
I don't know how many conversations I had with people defending what Kanye was doing. "How do we know God isn't changing him?"..."Doesn't Kanye have a right to praise God, too?"...."Doesn't God reign over the just and the unjust?"..."I mean, c'mon...listen to what he's saying."
I'd followed the mental health stuff and was adamant and vocal that only God could save him. I wanted to believe that THIS was THAT moment. I soooo wanted to believe that God was creating a new Kanye, one that could be used to transform lives through culture and ultimately for the success of God's kingdom.
*in comes Jesus is King*
First off, of course the album is musically hot...it's Kanye...he's a genius. We know that.
Most importantly though, and what I caught onto first, are the lyrics. He declares some biblical truths that only believers hold dear to their hearts...i.e. his acknowledgment of his former ways, his longing to do/be better through Christ, his awareness of his imperfections...and also his leeriness of other "Christians" tendencies when new Christians come along (#HandsOn).
In the song "Hands On," Ye is LITERALLY crying out for his family (the body of Christ) to pray for him, all the while acknowledging that some family members' responses will be the complete opposite. What's crazy is that many professing "Christians" literally clothed themselves in the leeriness that Ye speaks of in the track.
These are the types of comments that REALLY got me. Out of EVERYTHING that you can get from the album, I saw MULTIPLE individuals...(professing "CHRISTIANS," not music critics at XXL Mag) bash the album because of the sound. It wasn't "churchy" enough. Why didn't he use the Sunday Service Choir more? It was too "funkadelic." I even saw a comment that questioned why he released a gospel "rap" album (I don't know...maybe because he's a rapper...)
What are we doing here?!?! Do we not see this incredible move of God?!?!
To my beloved sisters and brothers in Christ, God has given us a pan-scale opportunity to change the narrative of "The Prodigal Son" on the backdrop of a modern-day society. In the parable (Luke 15:11-32), the "prodigal" son left home and came back only to be met with shallow comments from his brother, the "good" son.
Let me be frank. A lot of y'all sound like the older brother, just as shallow as a foot of water. This man is professing his new found faith in YOUR God and the ONLY thing you can talk about is some missing riffs and harmonies...really? SHALLOOOOOOW!
Now, I know some of you will say,"Okay...it's art. He put it out. So, naturally the audience will critique it."
All of that is true...but at some point you have to elevate the discussion. You're not merely a member of a prescribed audience...if you call yourself a "Christian," then you MUST acknowledge that you are occupying a moment where your brother is coming back home. We have a duty, an obligation to support our brother, to write a modern, more perfect response to the "prodigal son" coming home.
Now, I'm not saying that you have to defend him to all ends, or that you have to treat him like God...or anything like that. I'm simply asking, have you considered the Kingdom?
How are you reacting to your brothers coming home? Just in general...beyond Kanye.
Are you excited, running to him with open arms or are you being so shallow as to reduce your commentary to the sound of his music...or the look of his clothes, or the length of her skirt?
What's your priority?
We have to do this differently. Stop being so snobby and realize that none of us fit the category of the "good son." Only Jesus is...and the way salvation is set up, everybody...and by "everybody" I mean ANY BODY....can get a piece because...
#JesusIsKing
#YouAint
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