It’s been said many times that politics is downstream of culture.
Whether that’s true, it’s certainly a fact that the world is changing.
No — it’s a fact that it’s changed.
And one major way, it seems to me, that society has shifted is in the realm of practiced faith.
In April, in fact, I wrote an article titled “Atheism Is Now America’s Largest Religion. How Do We Return To A Nation Under God? Here’s A Start.”
In my view, social justice war and the notion of microagrressions and the significance of pronouns and the anticipation of which of over-100 alternate genders one might announce they are…with all due respect to no doubt genuine feelings people have over it all, none of these things existed before. And I believe they are all manifestations of our inherent need for purpose.
And our current, epidemic lack of it.
Not long ago, for many Americans, life was said to be about God, family, and country.
Faith was the foundation of the marriage, marriage was the foundation of the family, family was the foundation of the community.
But faith has been greatly abandoned. Couples don’t stay together. Families are fractured.
And community? Beyond all those blocked politically-different Facebook friends, real ones and even blood relatives have banned one another based on which candidate they preferred nearly three years ago.
And all of this is why Kanye West’s album is important. It’s substantial, because it proves there is still the willingness of, not just Americans, but young Americans — the future — to look to God. To a spiritual foundation.
And in that open view, perhaps they will find meaning.
They’re apparently not averse to the idea, as proven by the throngs coming to West’s pop-up Sunday Services, where he proclaims things such as this:
West: “Who said, ‘thank you, Kanye?’ What I want you to say is, ‘thank you, Jesus.’” pic.twitter.com/yxyFswXVOV
— Hunter Schwarz (@hunterschwarz) October 5, 2019
This is no inconsequential news.
We’re talking about one of the biggest cultural influencers of the last fifteen years. The man’s sold 21 million records and 100 million digital downloads.
He’s won 21 Grammys.
And in July, there was this:
“Kanye West Professes His ‘Radical Obedience’ To Jesus Christ”
Fast forward to this week, and his October 25th-released album is Number 1. That’s his ninth consecutive project to debut at the top. But this one’s broken his personal record with the biggest streaming week ever, and it’s tied Eminem in that regard.
As of Monday, as per Billboard, it’d been played on-demand 196.9 million times.
And the album is called Jesus is King.
The guy’s even written a song in praise of Chick-fil-A, entitled “Closed on Sunday.”
So is this just a phase for Kanye? It could be. Or it may be a lifelong pursuit.
Either way — and I think he might agree, in this case — this marvel isn’t about him.
It’s a glimpse into a world perhaps many thought no longer exists.
It’s a sign of the times — that they haven’t changed so much as appearances may lead us to believe.
People want meaning. Purpose. And, at least as of this moment, they’re still willing to talk, listen, and think about God — a higher purpose.
They’re doing it right now. Listening to “Jesus is King.”
-ALEX
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