Is Kanye West the most powerful Christian voice in the world right now? I never thought I’d ask that!
In fact, not being an ardent fan of foul-mouthed, relentlessly turgid rap “music”, I was barely aware of his existence. I am now.
Earlier this month Kanye’s more famous wife, Kim Kardashian West, was baptized at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the cathedral church of the Armenian Apostolic Church, along with the couple’s three younger children.
PHOTO: KIM KARDASHIAN WEST/TWITTER
Big Changes Happening
Twelve months to the day earlier, Kanye visited US president Donald Trump sporting a MAGA hat. The typically narrowed eyes of the White House press corps were on sticks as the rapper treated them to a 10-minute stream of consciousness in support of all things Trump, America’s most pro-life president.
“Provocative” doesn’t seem to quite do the event justice.
I don’t know about you, but I reckoned something was going on.
And now, over this weekend just passed, Kanye released his ninth studio album titled, “Jesus is King.”
Kevin Winter – Getty Images for ABA
Take Notice, He needs God.
That event would ordinarily have gone completely and happily unnoticed by this commentator were it not for the title and content of the album’s tracks, which have caused a sensation.
Kanye hasn’t converted me to his style of music, but one track, “God is”, struck me with particular force.
Among the evocative lyrics, Kanye testifies:
You won’t ever be the same when you call on Jesus’ name
Listen to the words I’m sayin’, Jesus saved me, now I’m sane.
Many will be expecting Kanye to trip and fall, be shown up to be a hypocrite, the subject of an epic fail video. He comes with baggage, no doubt, but that is exactly the point he is making. He knows that he needs God. Jesus is his Saviour, there is no other.
Catholics take heed.
Jesus wasn’t just the first century’s greatest motivational speaker, aspirational entrepreneur and short story teller.
Jesus is the eternal Son of God, divine and human, sent by the Father to reveal God and to redeem mankind by his sacrificial death on the cross.
This is the Good News that Jesus commanded his Church to tell (Mk 16:15).
As Kanye exhorts:
Every time I look up, I see God’s faithfulness
And it shows just how much He is miraculous
I can’t keep it to myself, I can’t sit here and be still
Everybody, I will tell ‘til the world is healed.
When I sent the Spotify link of the album to my adult children, just one day after its release, they replied that they were already across it. (As if to say, “That’s so yesterday, Dad.”)
They’re not alone.
Millions will know…
Literally millions of people, mainly young, are typing these words into their devices: “JESUS IS KING”. Every time radio announcers, news anchors or social commentators refer to the album, they utter the same truth.
I don’t know whether Kanye will become a Catholic. Please God, he and his family will become great saints of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
But, right now, he is confessing with clarity and boldness the truth that we know: Jesus is king.
Amen to that.
Please share your thoughts, prayers and conversion stories in the comments below!
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