Calling: “Nathan.  Oh Nathan. Where art thou?”  No for real, today, more than ever, do we need bold, truth-telling God-loyal leaders in the church. No, not just loudmouthed religious folk, but men and women who love God much more than popularity. The deal on this above-noted seer?  This Old Testament figure’s “brand” of prophecy was corrective, raw and pretty scary if you ask me.

And we need more like him.

In this age of church scandals, declining belief and overall lessening respect for Christianity, true prophets must be bold and loyal enough (to God) to tell leaders when they’re not in place.  Nathan-like prophets deal with the ugly stuff that don’t nobody wanna say:

-          You lie too much

-          Your attitude sucks

-          You’re taking advantage of your followers

-          You’re living like a hypocrite

Gulp, the last two were Nathan’s specialty. Problem is, it seems there aren’t many prophetic cats around who are willing to speak with the same gutsiness.  Either that or their “Davids” are too arrogant to listen.

In our subject’s day, a handsome and well-liked king needed to hear the stank, nasty truth about himself and his dirty deeds with a certain soldier’s superbad chick.  Yep, Bathsheba, the baddest of the land.  Ok, you got me. The Bible doesn’t say that, but she had to be to take down a king. Anyhoo, David just had to have her.  From jumpstreet, David knew he was all kinds of wrong for lustin’ after Uriah’s wife and luring her over to his den.  Then, he does the unthinkable and gets her husband killed to try and hide his tracks.

Super trifling if you ask me

::Cue the superhero music:: In walks Nathan with the reality check his buddy, the King desperately needed.  Like a good servant of God, he looks past the offender’s position and stature, eyes him squarely and lets him have it.

You are that man. In other words, David, you are living foul. FOUL. Get it together.

Thankfully, King David, the worshipper, warrior and lover of God, responds correctly with heartfelt and broken repentance.  He was probably scared too. Good call, King.

I’m not telling you anything new.  You know this story. We all do.

Preachers often use this tale to hone in on the importance of repentance before God or even or promoting “good behavior” (as David ended up losing the child born to Bathsheba).  However, the churchgirl in me keeps thinking of another interpretation.

What if David had never repented?

What would have happened if Nathan had been too impressed with the King or too eager to remain in his good graces and closed his eyes to David’s murder/adultery case?

David may have lost his kingdom.  He may have lost his life.  David would have probably been another Sampson. Undone.  Jacked up…you get it.

Not sure if you noticed, but The Lord’s response to David, even after he begs for forgiveness wasn’t a warm and fuzzy one.  Look:

The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the Lord, the son born to you will die. (2 Samuel 12: 14 NIV)

Just think about this in terms of today’s scandal-ridden church.  (Yeah, yeah, many of the stories are untrue/yet to be proven, but we know some are real). Could it be that someone that God sent to be a “Nathan” is too worried about losing a position to speak up?

All right.  So, you’re a “Prophet to the Nations” (church folks phrase) and can see waaaaaaaaaaaaaay into peoples’ futures, foretell catastrophic events and give people life-saving words of wisdom and you didn’t know your Bishop was running a Ponzi scheme?  Yes you did. You just didn’t want to say nuthin.’ You saw the condoms in his briefcase.  You saw her spending too much time with that married parishioner with no one else around.  You knew that under-aged kid wasn’t lying.  We can get mad at Penn State, but say nothing to the church? Nope, this ain’t right.  Not one bit. You knew that some of the things you were seeing, feeling and sensing were skrange, yet you did and said nothing, all for fear of “touching God’s anointed.”

Well, let me tell you this, if the body doesn’t speak up about innerchurchfoolery, the authorities will.  And the news.  And the court system. Police and all them other folks.

Why let that happen?

People may get mad at you.  Your Pastor may even fire you, but real talk, if they’re dishonoring Jehovah, He’s ultimately going to fire them.  And you’re still accountable.

To sum it up, I’m not advocating or even slightly suggesting disrespect or trying to embarrass leadership, only hoping that the church will remember that it’s not only the sheep who need to be adjusted. In fact, there’s a bigger consequence for leaders who knowingly use others, live dishonest lives and fake the funk.  See: tragic stories of Saul and Eli.

So, maybe when we sheep see, hear or sense things that give us the *tinglies,* instead of opting for silence, we should write a letter, confront a leader closer to them or approach them yourself (prayerfully). Yeah, it’s weird (speaking from experience here), but really all you’re doing is pushing them closer to God anyway.  Isn’t that what we all want?

What the Word Says:

But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

- 1 Corinthians 9:27 (English Standard Version)

Michael Jackson on the cover of Ebony magazine

“Sometimes you want to go,
Where everybody knows your name,
And they’re always glad you came…
You want to go where everybody knows your name.”

(Excerpt of the theme song from Cheers)

It’s good to be loved, but can you handle the hate? When we consider greatness, the ugly evils of jealousy, envy and pure ol’ hatred have to enter the equation as well.

Hatred. Commonly when we think of haters, our minds go directly to the lightweight distresses of gossip and people “not liking us,” but what if part of your destiny is being hated and publicly mistreated?

Could you stand to be falsely accused while the entire world found you guilty?

What’s it like for your mistakes, flaws and blunders to be broadcast publicly?

What happens when the media creates a mangled image of you?

The ceremony has taken place and countless stars have given their tributes. Fans have cried and critics have put their tongues on overdrive. At just the right time, images of somber blood relatives shocked us back to reality. This was a human being with real feelings, problems and pain…like us, not some “music machine” that gave us what we wanted to hear, see and dance to when we wanted it.

Journalists have written and written and written and talked and talked and talked about the impact of Michael Joseph Jackson, the King of Pop, but I wonder: Are we learning the right things from his life?

1. When you’re great, you will be hated
2. Greatness requires talent, hard work and a relentless commitment to
quality
3. Selfless, not self-loving people are the ones who will live on in legacy
4. We must work hard in the present to create something that will outlive
us

I hope that Michael’s true legacy is not being ignored. The real applause should be for the type of person that he was. He raised awareness for HIV/AIDS before it was popular, and without making sexually explicit songs that were clearly contradictory. Remember his moving tribute to Ryan White, the childhood victim of HIV/AIDS in the early 90’s? And he gave; probably not for publicity purpose either. Those that toured with him years ago, told moving stories of how visiting children’s hospitals was a mandatory pre-performance activity – oh, and without cameras, press releases or statements. Regardless of what you think of his life, we all must admit that celebrity philanthropy and advocacy really skyrocketed during Mr. Jackson’s reign. Who else was doing it?

What I’m saying is, we were blessed to experience the ministry of Michael Jackson and the unifying, healing power of his music. Inspired? Just remember, in order to make such an impact, there must be a sacrifice.

What are you willing to bear?

They Don\’t Care About Us

What makes a fitting tribute? A gracefully executed performance done in the style of a departed superstar? How about naming landmarks after them – streets, government buildings or even community centers?  Maybe.  Honor can go two ways.  In one instance, the often-younger admirer, correctly perceives the genius and uniqueness of a legend and creates a work that causes others to join them in respect and remembrance.  And on the other hand, they can go horribly wrong.

I’ve been wrestling with writing an article like this for some time now.  Simply because I’m aware that my peers are tired of the constant comparisons of our artists to those that came before.  “This music out here ain’t nothing.  I wish the 90’s, 80’s, 60’s artists would come back and show these young cats how it’s done.” Right, I get it.  Unfortunately though, in the case of honor and tributes, I think they’re on to something.

Let’s start with Drake, a talented and interesting rap phenomenon, and trendsetter with a loyal following.  We’ll give him that.  What we won’t give him is carte blanche to remake anything Aaliyah that she wouldn’t have approved of while living.  None of us eighties babies could ever fathom a hit by the pop icon sans her super production crew: Missy Elliott and Timbaland.  It just wouldn’t happen.  The three were thick as thieves.  My question to Drake is: Are you really a fan if you didn’t think of this? Let’s not get started on the family’s disagreement.   I mean really, who would be a better spokesperson for the superstar’s estate (and intellectual property) than her brother?  Come on Drake. You know you wrong.

To keep this short and painless, I’ll skip over my sermon of how Nicki owes Kim at least a head-nod for “appreciating” her original style: fashion, colored weaves, shock-inducing lyrics and overdone sex appeal.  Sigh.  Marinate on that one for a minute.  Guess there’s no copyright/trademark infringement on booty shots and kool-aid colored weaves. Anyway, let’s skip on over to the currently irate estate of Nina Simone. Her daughter has recently spoken out against the pending biopic, pretty angrily I might add.  Do the producers owe her an explanation?  Should this be viewed as artistic exploration or blatant disrespect?

Before you opportunistic rappers, producers and content creators bare your fangs at me, allow me to issue a disclaimer.  I am fully aware that these people were public figures and that in a sense; they “belonged to all of us.”  Except, they really didn’t.  You see, old folks caution us not to “speak evil of the dead” mainly because they can’t defend themselves.  So…if the person you’d like to “honor” is no longer among us, you really should do the right thing and get the approval from those who loved, supported and knew them best: the family.  And for real, they’re the ones that will hurt the most if your little project ends up being some trash.

Clearly, your life is not being enriched by looking at another angry rant.  So, to legitimize my frustration (and maybe yours too), I invite you to remember some of Black music’s greatest icons and their efforts to honor those they saw as legends.  Consideration of their work shows us two things:  (1) These projects were not solely about them.  These artists truly appreciated their predecessors and aimed to create something to make them (and their families) proud.  (2) These individuals were both artists and thinkers and not just cash machines.

Well, enough of me yapping, let’s get to the good stuff.  Below are 4 selected musical tributes, courtesy of YouTube to bolster our discourse.

Enjoy!

“Alright” by Janet Jackson.  Tributes to legendary performers: Cab Calloway, Cyd Charisse and the Nicholas Brothers
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgeAUejUZhg)
“I’m Every Woman” by Whitney Houston.  A queenly honor to singer Chaka Khan by one of her former background singers. Yep, Whitney sang on the original recording.  And notice, she wasn’t afraid to let other younger stars get some shine.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7_sqdkaAfo)

“I Can’t Help It” by Beyonce.  An emotional rendition from Big Bey to MJ the day after his passing
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Z5Z1F95880)

The King MJ himself giving props to his deceased mentor, Jackie Wilson at the 1984 Grammy awards
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CNZ_pi8pcQ)

Pictured: a supporter of the Westboro movement

I read something in the paper and I’m sure you did too.   It was one of those moments where American Christians were made to look bad again.  And it was our fault. I felt ashamed and confused (as many probably did), but soon realized that some of us still don’t “get it.”  We make the mistake of thinking that just because we’re Christians that God agrees with everything we do and say.  We convince ourselves that every strong opinion we possess came from God and has His stamp of approval.  We couldn’t be more wrong. Maybe there should be a motion picture film about this phenomenon called the Funeral Crashers.

What would make a rational thinking person believe that they were pleasing God by terrorizing innocent bystanders at one of the worst moments of their lives? Let’s be honest.  It’s really not about him at all.  God and religion are some peoples’ excuse.  Can you imagine, the Jesus we all know and love instructing someone to nastily interrupt a family’s mourning with some straight-up foolishness? If you can, please show me where Jesus did anything similar, cause it just seems crazy.

Toting signs that read “God Hates You,” “There are no heroes,” and the worst, “Thank God for Dead Soldiers,” the lost protesters have hit funerals in about 35 states.  In addition to harassing military families, the Westboro church crew also bombarded the funeral of a gay teen who died at the hands of his classmates.  And they don’t discriminate based on sickness either.  Also among their targets was the family of former Senator John Edwards at the service for his wife Elizabeth.  Wait, what are they hoping to accomplish? People are not going to stop being gay or whatever because you make a jack out of yourself. The war won’t end any sooner either. What is your point?
With all of the noise and attention they’ve gained, there are no tangible results.  According to news reports, the nutties from the Westboro Baptist Church attribute tragedies such as Hurricane Katrina, the prevalence of STDS’s to the tolerance of Homosexuality in the U.S.

::Puzzled and quietly angry. Please pause for an angry rant::

Does anyone remember that greed is also a sin? And Adultery? And shedding innocent blood? And lying? And, a lot of other things that folks in this country are doing?  So, if you’re going to really proclaim God’s judgment on the Earth, please tell the whole story.  The homo lifestyle is not the only thing He’s mad with us about…and we know it. There’s a lot of sin going on in this country.
But we’re so holy, right? Come on. Wake up.  Sin has many faces and we need to call them all out.
:: Play:
Let’s put our emotions aside and ask: Does harassing people cause any of these issues to go away?  We both know the answer.  Heck to the no.  Worst of all, people like this are probably running more folks away from the church with their antics.  Our job is always to persuade people to come to our side, not repulse them.  I think they need to check out their bibles.
They must have the Hatred translation.

Here’s their rationale.  The attorney that represents the angry mob spoke out against Congressman Mike Rogers’ legislative efforts to restrict protesters in similar situations.

“He’s ready to give away the crowning jewel of all of our freedoms,” referring to the First Amendment.

So, your freedoms should be protected and those of the grieving families should be stomped on? This does not sound like Jesus at all. This doesn’t either:
“Die God Laughs.”
There is definitely something unchristian about making other peoples’ lives miserable to advance your own agenda (i.e., your scheduled plan and not the work of God).
What the Word Says:

“Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor…Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God’s Law and Prophets and this is what you get.”

-      Matthew 7:1-5, 12 (The Message)

Black folks have come a long way and we owe God a BIG thank you for it.

After excitedly watching the Inauguration of President Barack Obama, our nation’s first African-American President, I called my Grandmother for some commentary.

In addition to being a 70-something Black woman who has spent her life in the South, getting her fair share of life’s hard lessons, Granny is a student of history. She can tell you things about most of the Presidents, from Roosevelt to Eisenhower and on.

She spends hours reading newspapers, memoirs and biographies of political and world leaders and key figures in business. She said she does it to “keep company” while my Grandfather is away at work. Whenever we visit, she gives us books and sometimes gently scolds for “not reading your history like you ought.”

Today, I wanted her to tell me a story.

I listened intently as she told me about the time when “the Klu Klux Klan came to Willie Twine’s house.” This was a cousin of ours, about the age of my great-grandfather who owned his own farm and home.

This was the beginning of Integration and people were sorely opposing it. My cousin, who had a little more land and money than most Black men in Chowan County, NC, was determined to send his son to the all-white high school. He was the only Black student.

Some of the White farmers in the town – two of which he knew and had labored with, entered his yard after Midnight and burned a cross. The only thing that stopped my cousin from shooting them was the fearful cries of his wife.

He and my Great-Grandfather made it public to the white farmers and town leaders that if this happened again, that dead bodies would be found, because they were going to shoot the perpetrators.

It didn’t happen again.

Granny also told me about the poor living conditions Blacks had to endure during that time. She was born in 1931 and remembers having only newspaper to line the walls of their house – a material not strong enough to keep back the black snakes. The houses had only weatherboarding.

If you were a tenant farmer, chances were, you were treated like less than a dog. She described the homes in the same light as animal shelters. Many were prevented from sending their children to school as their landowners required them to work.

Some pushed back and had to find other places to live. One thing that she said has got my mind buzzing:

“You used to see young Black men dressed up with suits on, neckties and stuff… …You never hear of anybody taking no gun on campus… These drugs and stuff changed the attitude of folks. I don’t know. The Lord can change things, but I think from what he [Obama] told them this morning, you going to have to do something too.”

If it weren’t for the intervention of God, African-Americans would have never come through slavery, Jim Crow, the Civil Rights era, workplace discrimination, racial profiling and being blocked out of the political process.

We certainly wouldn’t have the President we have now. God has been standing up for us, giving us an even playing field and equal opportunities. Now is not the time to forget Him.

History tells us that He’s been our rock, our shield, our Savior and our deliverer. We need to reflect on our history knowing that our connection to the God of Israel should be as much a part of our identity as our skin color. He has delivered us from the hand of an oppressor (legalized racism) and set His glory upon us. But like my Granny hinted, we are dropping the ball. Let’s do better.

We owe God. We owe it to ourselves. We owe those who sacrificed for us to have better. Let’s remember how far we’ve come and thank God for where we’re going.

She had all the trappings of an R&B diva, hit songs, famous friends, even the opportunity to tour with the hottest music group of her time, and she gave it up. 

Born and raised in Southeast Washington, D.C., singer Stacy Lattisaw won over audiences with her signature rendition of “Love on a Two-Way Street,” and other widely known hits during the 1980s.  Her sweet, nice-girl image, paired with a megawatt voice provided the near-perfect combination for super stardom.  The career success she enjoyed as a teenager made her a hometown hero back in D.C. and helped to launch the careers of other up and coming starlets, namely Sean “Diddy” Combs and Johnny Gill.

Everything you just read could have been told [and has been] by television specials, but here’s the good part.

With hit after hit under her belt, Ms. Lattisaw completely walked away from the secular music industry– on her own terms. Some may say that her career was ending or that the market had evolved from artists with her sound, but as she admitted in her own terms, there were things that she could have done to boost her career. 

“Certain things I didn’t wear because I always knew that young ladies were watching me and I always wanted my image to be clean.”

Before we pose the burning question, “Does anyone even think like this anymore?” let’s examine the singer’s statement.  As a talented singer, Lattisaw was willing to forego higher levels of fame and “success” in order to preserve her morals.

Hate to sound like an afterschool special, but how else can you say it?

In a televised interview, she spoke of the difficulty she once had in watching music awards shows.  Her reason? She felt that, in spite of her talent, she never really received the respect that she rightfully deserved. 

Her consolation:

“I know that my rewards are stored up in Heaven and I wouldn’t trade that for nothing in this world.”

What’s interesting about her story is that in the midst of so many “where are they now” stories, here lies the tale of a highly talented, spiritually centered woman who possesses a drug and scandal free history. She didn’t end up a washed up addict on a pitiful reality show or get slapped with a life sentence.

She left on her own terms.

We’ve all heard (and quoted) the scripture about gaining the whole world at the price of our souls, but I wonder if any of us actually apply it to our own lives?

Maybe we should. Sometimes money and earthly rewards aren’t everything.

What the Word Says:

“Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.”

-          Matthew 6:19 (The Message)

So… this is not a pleasant subject but, have you ever thought about what it would be like to have to die for your faith?

A friend and I were discussing a song by the band Flyleaf.  In it, the lead singer addresses the shootings at Columbine.  Most people remember the brave girl who was brutally murdered for professing her belief, but the song asks us to think a little bit deeper.

 The gist of the message goes somewhat like this:

 “Don’t be surprised that somebody died.  Be shocked that many survived.”

 My friend and I both grew up in the church, love God and for the most part, try to do what we’re supposed to do, but we had to stop and really let the message sink in. 

What would mean more to you, your soul or your life?

 What would it feel like to get shot? How long would you actually have to lay there bleeding before you actually died? What if you were drowned or hung

Did I mention the pain?

 Maybe the people in the Bible were just made of tougher stuff.

 Stephen was stoned.

 Paul was jailed, flogged, exiled and then murdered.

 Peter was crucified upside down.

 Some of the Old Testament prophets were executed by the state.

 Some Christians were sawed in two and beheaded.

 Jesus provided the most hopeful story in getting back up. The rest didn’t.

 Another uncomfortable note: There are Christians in other countries who face this kind of danger for daring to do what we can do easily – worship.

 Sometimes, you just have to ask yourself, “Am I really a diehard?”

If I had to, would I be willing to suffer? Would I turn on God to save my hide?

 What the Word Says:

 Alive, I’m Christ’s messenger; dead, I’m his bounty.  Life versus even more life. I can’t lose. (The Apostle Paul)

- Philippians 1:21 (Message)