An Open Letter To The Church About John Crist and Kanye

I have to confess something… I am SO beyond frustrated with the church body as a whole right now. (This includes me as I grew up in a judgmental home and am still continually learning.)

How can we be so condescending? So judgemental? So high and mighty like we have our lives together and can only surround ourselves with the perfect and the pure? We point fingers, stick our noses up, and turn our backs on those who need us the most. “They’re horrible, sinful heathens.” constantly flares from our eyes to anyone who stoops to be less than we expect them to be, especially when they are someone of influence.

How can we?

I just finished reading an article about John Crist that reveals some of the hidden struggles he’s been dealing with for years and I was instantly reminded of the adulterous woman brought before Jesus in front of all those people. What did Jesus do? Did He excuse her sin or hold it against her? No… He told them whoever was without sin to cast a stone? Who cast stones? The high and mighty? Nope.

NONE. OF. THEM.

So why do we feel the need for us to do so?

That being said, I do believe it is good for us to hold Christian influencers to a certain standard. We don’t want to be following others who might lead us from the Lord. We also shouldn’t condone anything they have done, pushing it under the rug. Jesus told the adulterous woman to go and sin no more… so we should all take that same type of attitude towards our sin.

HOWEVER… none of ANY Christian leader is perfect. Notice how I say hold them to a certain standard, not a high one. Why do we continually put people on a pedestal? Why do we hire leaders and expect them to be the perfect ones we need. Why do we continually look to others and their influence instead of the Lord and His influence? They are just as human as we are!

Why do we expect Christians of influence to have a Joseph-with-Potipher’s wife attitude when they are more than likely going to behave with a David-with-Bathseba one (thank you Zack for that imagery)?

Being in the spotlight has got to be lonely, hard, and temptations have to be more abundant than any of us average folk deal with. I can’t imagine the type of strength one must have in order to live a life that honors God while constantly in a place where your life is in the spotlight.

In this particular article I read, the author says one of the reasons why they wrote it was so that churches would know who they were hiring. While I think there is wisdom in that, I’m also irked because they act like he is a terrible Christian role-model now… even though he’s written an apology letter and is actively seeking help.

Why do we keep expecting people to be perfect when they never are going to be?

Ok, so what does this have to do with Kanye?

Over the last week or so, I’ve been encouraged and inspired by most of the church’s acceptance and awe of what God is doing in and through Kanye’s life. I never liked him before because of his air of haughtiness (I have issues with people and egos, God’s working on me), but I was struck with humility in the fact that as unreachable as I thought Kanye would be, God still found him. God is working in his life and the impact is going to be awesome… has actually already been.

Of course, at the same time, I know there’s a high probability he may falter. He may relapse or go back to what he was doing before. How is the church going to act then? Will they ostracize him like they will probably do with John? Will we say, “I knew it!” and then not ever play his music again, believing him to be a worse sinner than us?

Therefore, confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored. The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God – it is dynamic and can have tremendous power].

James 5:16

John Crist’s secrets have been revealed. Kanye’s have mostly been obvious. Both are repentant and both need our help.

What are we going to do?

Are we going to hold their sins against them, or are we going to stand alongside them, encourage them, and lift them up in prayer so they receive the healing and wholeness they need?

 

Just some food for thought…

Woman of Purity~

 

 

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