Dear Kanye,

Along with the rest of the buzzing world, I recently heard about your conversion to faith in Jesus. Like many, I was initially struck with curiosity. I wanted to find sources presenting you personally explaining what is going on in your life. As I did, my opinion is that the things you have been saying sound like what people should say when they have come to know and follow Jesus, according to the New Testament.

Next, I heard you dropped an album that is exclusively about your new faith and intended to drive others to become followers of the biblical Jesus as well. I checked it out and was really encouraged by the lyrical content, and I enjoyed it very much from a musical/artistic perspective.

What I really want to talk about, though, has to do with the ways people are responding to your faith and some important stuff to consider at this moment of change for you. What caught my attention most in responses to your public statements about conversion to Jesus, and the content of your new album, is the suspicion and doubt that has been cast on you from professing Christians (though people who are not professing Christians have also doubted your sincerity in all of this). This line from, “Hands On,” on your new album, particularly grabbed my heart as I listened to it for the first time:

“What have you been hearing from the Christians?
They’ll be the first one to judge me
Make it feel like nobody love me”

Sadly, as I survey the internet, it is clear that those lyrics reflect your genuine experience in the wake of your public profession of faith in Jesus. In light of this, though I likely never will, I want to share a few things I would want to say to you at this important moment:

1. You’re in Good Company

You stand in a long line of genuine followers of God who have been met with suspicion and rejection while walking in the path God has for them. Two of the most notable are Jesus Himself and the Apostle Paul. When Jesus came to be the gospel to humanity, “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him” (John 1:11, NIV et al). When Paul tried to join the community of Jesus’ people (the Church) after he met and became a follower of Jesus, church people were scared and skeptical and said stuff like, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done… Isn’t he the man who raised havoc…?” (Acts 9:13a, 21a). Luke, the guy who told this part of Paul’s story in the New Testament book called Acts, said peoples’ hesitance was rooted in fear: “He tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple” (Acts 9:26).

Beyond suspicion and rejection from God’s people, Jesus and Paul also had other more important things in common, most of all the approval and support of God the Father. In addition, Paul also had a couple Christians who were willing to embrace and encourage him in his new faith, even in the face of what seemed to be an overwhelming response of doubt from the Christian community (Acts 9:27-28).

My hope for you at this crucial time in your life is that you would have patience with the doubters while finding encouragement and community in your God and those Christians who are ready to embrace you and help you down the path of spiritual maturity that is before you.

2. Be Patient with Your New Friends & Family

When you became a follower of Jesus, you didn’t just get a new God, but a new family (1 Peter 2:9-10; Hebrews 12:22-24). You are now part of a global, multicultural, multiethnic family of people, from every tribe, tongue and nation, and from every culture and social strata (Ephesians 2:12-13; Galatians 3:28; Revelation 7:9). The most important thing we have in common is Jesus and His plan and message of reconciliation (Romans 1:16-17). Local churches are full of non-Christians, new Christians, cynical and jaded Christians, suffering Christians, thriving Christians, good theology and bad theology, true Christ-likeness and gross hypocrisy, victory and defeat. You will fit nicely into each of these circles at different times while you walk the path of your new faith.

What I would encourage you to remember as you struggle with yourself, and with the conduct of others, is that we are all midstream in a life-long, slow-cook process of personal transformation, from the inside out (2 Corinthians 3:18; 2 Peter 1:5-8). God is remaking us all to be more and more like Jesus in our affections, emotions, thought patterns, words and actions (Romans 8:29). It would be nice if this happened automatically when we first believed in the Jesus of the Bible, but it doesn’t. Welcome to the journey. But while we are on this journey together, all of us are going to be hypocrites from time-to-time, and we will need God to give us un-human levels of patience for each other in the process. You will be disappointed by how slow the process of change unfolds in yourself, and in others at times. Who is doing the transformation (God), and the inevitable certainty of it (Phillippians 1:6), is our collective hope, and source of mutual humility (Ephesians 4:2).

3. Be Patient with Your Historic Friends & Family

Something that many people go through when they first meet the true Jesus is they get what we call, “zealous” (i.e. hyper-passionate, stoked). They want to tell everyone they know about the Jesus they have met. This zeal is a good thing, but it often gets expressed in spiritually immature, condescending tones, words and actions. Some have called this, “the cage fighter stage,” of coming to faith. These well-intended but misguided ways of interacting often lead to the early experiences of our faith that we end up feeling embarrassed about later in our life with Jesus.

It will be important to remember that the things God has used to draw you to Himself are kindness, truth and love, not the arrogance, judgmental posture or condescension of professing Christians (John 3:16; Romans 2:4). Honesty about Jesus with others is essential. However, sharing His message in humility, patience and love will help you avoid the unnecessary burning of relational bridges. God wants to use relational bridges in your historic friendship groups, community and family to reach them as well. So while you stoke the fires of your new zeal to tell the world about the true Jesus, do what Paul said and, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:6).

4. Keep the Real Standard Straight

There are probably some Christian leaders in your life you have already begun to value and look up to in special ways. This is a good thing. However, it is important to understand early on that even the most reputable, helpful Christian leaders will fail us. The Apostle Peter’s story in the New Testament is a great example of this if you haven’t checked it out yet (Luke 22:31-34; 54-62). It is important that you learn how to value and glean from Christian leaders, but that you do not get them confused with Jesus in the process. Otherwise, when (not if) they fail you, your faith can get twisted because your hope and expectations in human leaders were already twisted. Look to Jesus and His Word for the true standard and pattern of faithful Christianity and Christian manhood. In Him, you will never be disappointed (1 Corinthians 11:1; Hebrews 12:1-3).

5. Develop Tight, Christ-centered Friendships

All followers of Jesus simultaneously stand alone before God (Galatians 6:5), and as one of a large community before God (Acts 2:42-47). One of the most important things for you to develop at this transitional moment in your life is a small band of vulnerable, Jesus-loving Christians, who are committed to each others’ well-being and growth (Hebrews 10:24-25). You need a crew of friends and mentors who are committed to helping each other love, serve and be transformed by Jesus, to journey with throughout the rest of your life. We all need these kinds of tight, Christ-centered relationships. I encourage you to pursue these kinds of relationships with people who display the following characteristics:

• They love the gospel of the grace of God (Ephesians 3:7)

• They know you best (Phillippians 2:22)

• They love you most (and in authentic humility, Galatians 6:2-3)

• They are not afraid to say things you don’t want to hear (Colossians 3:16)

• Their motive is always your restoration (Galatians 6:1)

6. JESUS Really is King

I love the name of your new album, “Jesus is King.” It is true! That truth needs to shape our hope for humanity and be the hope for global peace we point people toward. Your relationship with Jesus has ramifications in every sphere of life, including politics. However, what God is doing in your life and in His world is not dependent on politics or politicians. Partly, I say this because I have learned that you feel it is important to publicly declare your political perspectives and support for certain politicians. I would never take that away from you, but it is important to remember that Jesus is the only One who is going to bring this world into a state of absolute peace, goodness, harmony, wholeness, etc. (Revelation 21:1-5). But He will do it through the work of His Spirit, gospel, people and direct presence, not primarily through legislation and human political authority. The relationship between your faith and politics is something you will have to work out for the rest of your life. What is most important is where we place our emphasis and ultimate hope. I hope you will continue to focus on loving and promoting the gospel, ways and works of Jesus, knowing He is going to take care of the rest.

7. Stay Immersed in the Gospel

The gospel message is beautiful, simultaneously simple and profound. Every day we need to remind ourselves that Jesus lived a perfect human life on our behalf. He never sinned or messed up in any way at the level of desire, imagination, thoughts, attitudes, words or actions. He died the death we deserved to die. He rose from the dead, which we could never do, defeating death for us. If we know and have embraced Him, we are no longer guilty in His eyes, but innocent. We are no longer shamed, but our honor is restored before the eyes and kingdom of God. We no longer need to be enslaved to fear, but we are filled with power to truly change and overcome the evil we encounter on the inside and around us.

Kanye, all of this is part of the good news of the gospel you have believed. And there is much more to the gospel than what I have said here. But what I want to say is the gospel is not Christianity 101, which you will now move beyond into deeper and better things in your faith. The gospel is forever the motivation, fuel and hope of your relationship with God, personal transformation, peaceful and authentic human relationships and future. Please spend the rest of your life dwelling deep in the implications of God’s love for you in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and that organizing principle for life will bring all other things into proper orbit (Romans 16:25; 1 Corinthians 15:1-2).

8. Welcome to the family.

Of the eight studio records that Kanye West has previously released, seven have gone “platinum.” Over the course of his career, he has been nominated for 68 Grammy Awards, leading to 21 wins. From publicly criticizing President George W. Bush’s relief efforts following Hurricane Katrina, to interrupting Taylor Swift’s Grammy acceptance speech, to scores of controversial tweets and comments, Kanye West’s public life has been less-than-subtle, to say the least. True to form, a new development in his life has been announced with equal subtlety: This past Friday, Kanye West released his ninth studio album, titled “Jesus is King.” Note, there is no irony here, no sacrilegious double-entendre or mockery. The contents of the album support that simple, powerful, title statement: “Jesus is King.” By releasing this album, Kanye is presenting the most controversial subject ever to the world, the media and the culture: the preeminence of Jesus Christ. And by tapping into such explosively divisive and uncomfortable subject matter (to this secular age), he has exposed himself to the suspicion, contempt and rejection of the people that he needs most right now: the Church. The question we need to ask ourselves is, “Should the Church embrace Kanye West?”

What follows are a series of questions to develop a helpful framework as we consider our next move as “the Church.” Following that are key, objective evidences to consider, namely, verbatim excerpts of songs from “Jesus is King.” Finally, as we consider Kanye West’s blatant professions, thoughts and confessions, I present my conclusive thoughts. You may find yourself in total disagreement with my resulting thoughts on the matter. However, my desire isn’t to attack what I consider wrong-thinking or un-Christ-like perspectives with a corrective scriptural apologetic. My hope is to ask some basic questions, pressing into a deeper philosophy of love. I want to call the Church to prayerful thought and meditation about Kanye’s statements, and thereby, develop a healthy framework and a compassionate ethic that we could apply to similar “high profile conversions.”

The Questions We Should Ask

Can the Church embrace Kanye West? Should it? Should we keep him at “arm’s length?” How long do we have to keep him outside before we invite him into “the family?” Is “our family” of our own making? Did we establish it? Do we maintain it? Who is the one who invites outsiders into our intimate family fellowship? Who invited us in when we were outsiders? Do we have the right to exclude anyone from it? Or to deny their status before Jesus? On what grounds can we make judgments about their status?

Does Kanye need to prove his devotion to Christ any more than he has? Are we waiting for “time to tell” about his professions? Are we waiting for “time to tell” about ours?

Is it “time” that validates the legitimacy of a conversion? How long did Jesus wait before bringing Matthew “the tax collector” into the camp? What did Zacchaeus have to do to get Jesus, the Son of God, to validate his conversion?

What proofs are given in Scripture to test if one is genuinely saved? Are those verses good enough to satisfy ourselves in our own moments of doubt? Are those verses sufficient to meet our doubts about Kanye? What does it take to convince us that someone has fallen before the cross in repentance? Are their words enough? Will it also require actions? What would those actions need to look like? Are those actions enough to prove the changed condition of the heart? Is it valid for Christians to be suspicious of a person’s clear profession of faith in Jesus? Are those suspicions helpful? Or fruitful? Is suspicion of conversion something we’re called to? Is this how we cultivate disciples? Does it draw seekers in? Does it drive them away?

Do we misrepresent the common grace we’ve received by denying acceptance, fellowship or love to one who has confessed Jesus as Lord?

The Evidence to Consider

The following quotations are sections of lyrics taken directly from Kanye West’s new album, “Jesus is King.”

Excerpt from “Every Hour:”

“Sing every hour (Every hour, ’til the power)
Every minute (Every minute, of the Lord)
Every second (Every second, comes)
Sing each and every millisecond (Down)
We need you (We need you, sing ’til the power)
We need you (We need you, of the Lord)
We need you (Comes)
Oh, we need you (Down)”

Excerpt from “Selah:”

“Before the flood, people judge
They did the same thing to Noah
Everybody wanted Yandhi
Then Jesus Christ did the laundry
They say the week start on Monday
But the strong start on Sunday
Won’t be in bondage to any man
John 8:33
We the descendants of Abraham
We should be made free
John 8:36
To whom the son set free is free indeed
He saved a wretch like me
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah…”

Excerpt from “Follow God:”

“Tell me what your life like, turn it down, a bright light
Drivin’ with my dad, and he told me, ‘It ain’t Christ-like’ (Stretch my hands to you)
I’m just tryna find, l’ve been lookin’ for a new way
I’m just really tryin’ not to really do the fool way
I don’t have a cool way, bein’ on my best, though
Block ’em on the text though, nothin’ else next though
Not another word, letter, picture, or a decimal (Father, I stretch)
Wrestlin’ with God, I don’t really want to wrestle
Man, it’s really lifelike, everything in my life (Stretch my hands to you)
Arguing with my dad, and he said, ‘It ain’t Christ-like'”

Excerpt from “Closed on Sunday:”

“…Follow Jesus, listen and obey
No more livin’ for the culture, we nobody’s slave
Stand up for my home
Even if I take this walk alone
I bow down to the King upon the throne
My life is His, I’m no longer my own
I pray to God that He’ll strengthen my hand
They will think twice steppin’ onto my land
I draw the line, it’s written in the sand
Try me and you will see that I ain’t playin’
Now, back up off my family, move your hands
I got my weapons in the spirit’s land
I, Jezebel don’t even stand a chance
Jezebel don’t even stand a chance”

Complete lyrics from “God Is:”

“God is
My light in darkness, oh
God, God is
He, He is my all and all (And I’ll never turn back)
God is
Everything that I felt, praise the Lord
Worship Christ with the best of your portions
I know I won’t forget all He’s done
He’s the strength in this race that I run
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 whole world is healed
King of Kings, Lord of Lords, all the things He has in store
From the rich to the poor, all are welcome through the door
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
And I know, I know God is the force that picked me up
I know Christ is the fountain that filled my cup
I know God is alive, yeah
He has opened up my vision
Giving me a revelation
This ain’t ’bout a damn religion
Jesus brought a revolution
All the captives are forgiven
Time to break down all the prisons
Every man, every woman
There is freedom from addiction
Jesus, You have my soul
Sunday Service on a roll
All my idols, let ’em go
All the demons, let ’em know
This a mission, not a show
This is my eternal soul
This my kids, this the crib
This my wife, this my life
This my God-given right
Thank you, Jesus, won the fight

Excerpt from “Hands On:”

“Told the devil that I’m going on a strike
I’ve been working for you my whole life
Nothing worse than a hypocrite
Change, he ain’t really different
He ain’t even try to get permission
Ask for advice and they dissed him
Said I’m finna do a gospel album
What have you been hearin’ from the Christians?
They’ll be the first one to judge me
Make it feel like nobody love me
They’ll be the first one to judge me
Feelin’ like nobody love me
Told people God was my mission…
…Make you feel alone in the dark and you’ll never see the light
Man, you’re never seein’ home and you never see the domes
I can feel it when I write, point of livin’ in the right.”

Complete lyrics from “Jesus Is Lord:”

“Every knee shall bow
Every tongue confess
Jesus is Lord
Jesus is Lord
Every knee shall bow
Every tongue confess
Jesus is Lord
Jesus is Lord”

A Few Closing Questions

Many within “the Church” remain skeptical of the legitimacy of Kanye’s repentance and of genuine reconciliation with Jesus. Do Kanye’s songs reflect enough? Is it even possible for someone to make the declarations that he makes without having experienced spiritual rebirth and regeneration? Can we move forward and embrace Kanye West as a brother in Christ, as a fellow disciple and as a fellow seeker? Do these lyrics declare Jesus boldly enough for Jesus to declare Kanye? Do his lyrics declare enough for me to accept Kanye? Should the Church embrace Kanye West?

The Bible has an opinion on this matter:

“…If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For ‘whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved'” (Romans 10:9-13, NKJV).

“…Whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32).

“…No one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3).

Has Kanye said enough? Scripture makes it simple: Yes, he has. The Church should embrace Kanye West. The Church MUST embrace Kanye West. At this point, with as much as has been declared, it would be sinful, even shameful, to do anything less than rejoice with the Angels of God that a sinner has repented, and as the Church, to extend our most heartfelt welcome to him. Will he make mistakes in his sanctification process? Sure. Will the road ahead be ugly at times? Absolutely. He is going to need the same patience, compassion and love that we all need as we progress through our own sanctification.

My Conclusion

I would be happy to fellowship with Kanye West. I would be grateful to be a part of his community of faith and would be happy to accept him into mine. I would be honored to spend time with him as a fellow disciple. I pray the Church gives him the welcome embrace that he needs to continue down this new path. I pray that the Church supports him in the same ways that I need support. I pray for a lifetime of growth, maturity, fruitfulness and joy, in and through Jesus, for him just as for myself. I invite him to warm himself by the same fire that warms me, which is nothing short of Jesus Christ Himself. I want to welcome him into my family, the family of Jesus.