I cannot believe I’m doing this. I’m really writing about Kanye West on a blog that is primarily used to talk about adoption. I felt it happening and just couldn’t stop it.
Unless you live under a rock, you’ve seen lots of news surrounding Kanye West and his recent conversion. Before we keep going though, I feel like I should make a confession. I watch Keeping Up With the Kardashians when I see it on tv. Okay, maybe I actually turn on the tv Sunday nights at 8:00 to catch the newest episodes. In my defense, I rarely make it through an entire episode. I typically give up when I realize there is truly nothing new to keep up with.
All that being said…..his change has played out slowly on the show over the past few months. From telling Kim her dress was too revealing, to wanting to spend more time at home. The change was subtle, but there.
And then he released his first Christian album and started doing interviews on the change in his life. And shockingly, he sounded like a new man. From the rhythm in his voice, to the scripture he was quoting (accurately I might add), he seemed different.
And the world had no clue what to do. How do we reconcile a rapper who seemingly overnight gave his life to Christ? Where do we go with that?
So, we did what only we can do. Joined a camp. There was a camp that started sharing everything he said…..just daring someone to argue. And another camp that started feverishly writing articles combating this “fake” Christianity and warning against it.
And then it came out that Joel Osteen invited him to his church. And the skeptics had proven their point. What kind of truly God fearing man would head to the church of prosperity gospel? Point proven. End of story.
Never mind the fact that I must have missed the invites from the mega churches we deem “theologically sound enough” for him to attend.
I read something on Twitter the other day that made me laugh and cringe at the same time. It said, “We just need a picture of Beth Moore hugging Kanye West to break Christian twitter.”
Kanye West and I have next to nothing in common. For starters, I’m not a wealthy, African American, male rapper. But, we do have this in common. A complete life change from Jesus Christ. The kind that literally changes the direction you are on, the way you talk, the way you act, and the priorities you have. It changes you.
But, here’s the difference. I’m not famous. No one was publicly judging me. People weren’t dissecting every word I said and sorting through the validity. And, when God used our story of foster care and adoption, no one pulled out the “This must be fake.” card, or “I knew Tamra before and this is a ploy.” or “She’s only doing this for publicity”, etc. etc.
The conversion of Saul in the Bible has always been amazing to me. Just the background of Saul and the magnitude of this. For the people who grew up with Saul, this would have been confusing and miraculous all in the same breath. People were skeptical, but curious.
I’m not comparing the conversion of Saul to Kanye West. I don’t know enough of his personal conversion story to make any assumptions. But, I am saying this. Praise God I am not judged on my past. Let’s don’t elevate Kanye to a status that celebrates WHEN he fails. Because, make no mistake…..he will fail and mess up. Just like me and you. Let’s just make sure we aren’t there to cheer when he does.
Luke 15:10: “In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels, when even one sinner repents.”
The Norman's Life 