Nates Notes

“I’m tryna keep my faith but I’m looking for more. Somewhere I can feel safe and end my holy war. I’m tryna keep my faith.”

Guess where this line comes from. I’ll give you a hint. It comes from a recent rap track. Was it Lecrae? No, Andy Mineo, right? Maybe it came from Trip Lee or one of the more classic Christian rap guys.

Well before you check your friends’ Instagram bios to see which one has it, I guarantee you will not find it.

While you check, I’ll give you another line.

“Don’t have much strength to fight so I look to the light. To make these wrongs turn right, head up high, I look to the light… ‘cause I know that you’ll take good care of your child. Oh, no longer am afraid of the night, ‘cause I, I look to the light.”

If you are still wondering where these blatant, clear-as-day lines referencing where our ongoing, internal struggles are coming from, I’ll gladly tell you.

It came from Kanye West.

Yes, the arrogant, self-centered jerk who disrespected poor Taylor Swift on a national stage (on multiple occasions) put this in his album. In fact, he put it in the album’s first song. And he had help too — help from Grammy award winner and gospel artist Kirk Franklin.

Initially, I was skeptical. Surely, Franklin would not dare be a part of West’s album. The album has songs about alcohol, drugs, infidelity and pretty much anything else Christ preached against. So why on earth would Franklin willingly be a part of such a thing?

Naturally, the gospel artist received much flack. The beautiful and sacred realm of social media attacked Franklin for cosigning with something such as this, especially involving Kanye.

I too thought Franklin made a mistake. I figured he precariously perched himself upon the ever-thinning line between being in the world and of it. However, my perspective soon changed.

Think about it. West released the album on a streaming website, Tidal, where millions have heard it. However, some reports revealed more than 500,000 people illegally downloaded it.

Millions have heard this album, and when they hear the first song, they hear the words “We don’t want no devils in the house, we want the Lord and that’s it.”

Yes, they will hear so much more that does not coincide with these lines. Chance the Rapper, a featured artist on the track, even uses a few expletives in this very song. But Franklin, regardless of the stage, used this as an opportunity to encourage others while addressing the difficulties we as believers endure.

So before we are quick to bash Franklin for being involved in a sin-oriented album, know at least one non-believer heard his prayer at the end of the song.

“Father, this prayer is for everyone that feels they’re not good enough. This prayer’s for everybody that feels like they’re too messed up. For everyone that feels they’ve said ‘I’m sorry’ too many times. You can never go too far when you can’t come back home again.”- Kirk Franklin, Ultra Light Beam.

HAYWOOD is the editor-in-chief.