Kanye, Christian, Churches, and Compulsive Commentary

Kanye’s album is everywhere—especially in Christian circles. Kanye’s recent testimony has been well documented, and it’s encouraging to hear. You won’t be shocked, though, that this whole story has created waves online. It’s 2019, after all, everything has to make waves online. Rather than getting swept away, I want to pull out a few lessons that this story brought to my mind: on salvation speculation, local church priority, and our endless cycle of commentary.

---

Is Kanye Really Saved?

The internet is filled with people caught in a “conversation” about whether or not Kanye’s salvation is legitimate. This article is not one of those. Why? Because trying to figure that out is a fool’s errand that will likely leave everyone concerned looking foolish. When someone comes to realize Christ as their Savior (even when they are Kanye), we ought to take them at their word until they give us fruit that confirms or denies it. So yes, Kanye has led (and probably in some ways still leads) a messy life. That ought not to be surprising. Our lives don’t get cleaned up overnight just because we get saved.

We shouldn’t shame the new believer for not having everything under control right away. We also shouldn’t be hasty to anoint him as the Cultural Christian Pope. When someone is new to the faith, we receive them as brothers, in humility. We pray for them to grow, and we look with charity over those that profess the name of Christ. As time goes on, the fruit will come, and that’s when you can examine more reliably.

---

Local Church power

Examining our calling and election (to borrow words from the Apostle Peter) is best done in close proximity, not through the distance of the internet. Kanye’s story has been (and hopefully continues to be) heavily involved in a solid local church. It has to be challenging for a celebrity to remain committed to a local church, and I hope that Kanye does. This whole story, though, reminds me that the local church is a spiritual battleground.

We ought not to get caught up in the powerful and showy, much of Kanye’s salvation has come through two friends simply inviting their personal friend Kanye to their small church on a Sunday morning. Then, one faithful pastor from that church continued to meet with him and read through the Bible. That’s it.

It ought to be our prayer that Kanye remains in a solid local church that preaches the Gospel, just as it would be so vital for anyone who names the name of Christ. Without the persistence of the Word of Christ experienced and preached in a local church, our souls will inevitably suffer.

Beyond that, don’t doubt the power of personal evangelism, and don’t doubt the power of the local church. Who would have thought some random California church could be useful in the story God seems to be writing in Kanye’s life. How much more so should we be confident in God’s power to change the lives of our friends, family, and those in our community—if only we would get active in prayerful evangelism. 

---

Compulsive Commentary

We’ve turned into compulsive commentators—talking heads, not unlike those we see on TV. Social media gives us a megaphone and tells us to shout as much as we want.

We begin to think that every controversy, conversation, or event needs our commentary. Little by little, what starts as innocent begins to shrivel us up on the inside. We all like to be liked, and we all like to have our tweets liked even more. 

Do you ever notice, though, how rare it is that conversations (even about this happy story) remain positive? Why do they seem to inevitably march towards cynicism, hot takes, hostility, or name-calling? Why is there a new pseudo-controversy every week?

As my own friend tweeted, “One week it’s Beth Moore and John MacArthur, the next it’s Kanye’s salvation. Everyone, just give it a break.”

Is our constant need to comment turning us into children that act out trying to get their parents’ attention? 

I don’t know that I have any solutions. I just can’t help but notice lots of needless contention in our conversations today—even over the good news that God saved a sinner and made Kanye into His own child. 

Your life will not be any better for the sake of that comment you make on (insert controversy of the day here). 

As a matter of fact, if you trust God is sovereign, your life will be better when you simply move right past it.

Give thanks for salvation, invest in the power of God in your local church, and enjoy life—stop commenting about it.