2008 and 2009 seemed to be the years we saw many fall, whether in eternal sleep or sin. 2010 has been the year we’ve seen may restored to the fold. There seems too be a lot who have fallen away, passed away or came back from major sets backs. It is always a tragedy to see one of our own fall. We don’t rejoice in the fall. We do look forward to welcoming them back once they return to the fold. As we have recently seen with the return of The Ambassador and Da Truth, and to some extent Red Cloud. Though some may have apprehension about the latter. They all had a public falling away and a public welcoming back. Which got me to think about the Rise and Fall of many of our beloved soldiers. Do we uplift the men to high that when they fall so do our dreams? Do some of these ministers put themselves on such a high platform that when their humanity shows through we feel let down? We have lost a few who had a great home coming in heaven, namely Enock, and S/ave. Two men I knew personally. Whose ministry touched me personally and I miss them. The hardest part was removing there phone number and email address from my phone. They where men I respected and looked up to for encouragement. We may have lost them early but they had an early home coming where there is great rejoicing. Just as D-Boy they left a legacy of impacting lives. Their falling to the earth wasn’t in vain, but that the fruit of many would come to bare.

As mentioned, as of late 2008 to 2009 seemed to bring a string of bad news. One of these was Red Cloud’s use of Marijuana for recreational purposes. This brought to light the struggle Syntax Records had with not allowing an artist on their label to continue to use a substance. They didn’t feel their faith could support the use of Marijuana and choose to give Cloud a chance to go through rehab. Cloud didn’t see the need to since the first nations people (also known as 1491 Nation) didn’t have an issue with any herb albeit Peyote, Sage or Marijuana. Eventually the battle rapper in Red Cloud arose and struck back with a YouTube released track Evandelism dissing pretty much everyone who has something to do with Syntax or whom he felt may have it in for him. Once he realized how many brothers still supported him and what damage it caused he repented and asked for forgiveness and even took down the song. He admitted he was frustrated with the loss of label situation and felt persecuted. At first many embraced his attempt at repentance, then others questioned it. Whether you accept it or not he seems sincere and hasn’t went back on his choice to take down the track and go back to being peaceful with his fellow brothers. He even reconciled with some of those he called out or exaggerated about which is a good look no matter how you cook the books. We also saw the stumble and fall of Ambassador and Da Truth which was a shock to the lyrical theology camp. What the enemy meant for harm God used for good. It seems that the rift between the lyrical theology and street theology camp was healed during this time. As we are all on one team. It was good to see artist reach across the aisle to each other. In the end it was good to see Truth renew his vows to his wife and Ambassadors wife to give her okay to Ambassadors return to music, after they both went through a process or restoration. Its always good to rejoice as our brothers who have fallen come back.

Along the way we have seen Christian artist fall away whether it be Nuwine, who after a harsh divorce and being rejected by his church turned to the world and became Wine-O, a patched eyed looking pirate profane rapper. Or Ma$e also known as Mason Betha, who left rap for bible school to become a faith based minister fashioned after his mentor Creflo Dollar. How interesting M A Dollar Sign E, came under Pastor Dollar, as a model for his Church. If you read his autobiographical book you can hear his angst with the lack of money in the ministry. It seems over time he got frustrated and went back to secular rap. At first he did clean music, then he joined G Unit and went down hill. You may ask why did I bring up the past. Well there seems to be similar patterns that repeat themselves. If we don’t learn from the past then we are doomed to repeat them. I’ve heard many rappers who got burnt by the church and have almost given up on God and Church. I’ve reached out to a few to see them stay faithful to Church and God yet seek their own path without the approval or specific groups or organizations.

Its been a blessing that the wave of one of the most divisive ripples that hit the church through a ministry, that made more money than all gospel rappers combined, simmered out and has left us to make a way for ourselves. Its enough to take shoots from the enemy, its another to have to take shoots from the body. Its time to lift up and love, to build up and encourage.

As in any industry there are issues to be dealt with. One of the issues I’ve ran into ministering to young people is that young women who have sought to sing have been pressured by gospel oriented studio owners who where married to play for pay type situations (if you can get the underlying text of that). I’ve heard it more than once and get the idea there are a few who come from the secular industry and aren’t fully sanctified yet. We need to have a more thorough vetting process for what we call gospel and what standards we live by for those who stand, for those who fall and how we help them get up. Its important to find a way to hedge our brothers, build them up and restore them if needed. We have these means in place, but as pointed out situations have arose and will arise, and we must be prepared to restore such as are repentant and sincere. Many of these situations have caused much hurt and confusion. One situation that I don’t understand is the hubbub around Tonex coming out as man friendly. And how that went over like a 747 and kept moving like nothing happened. That befuddled me. His music career didn’t seem to be affected. I guess there is enough “metro” men leading choirs across America that no one was surprised. I was surprised and hurt. I had a large collection of his music which I’ve since given up listening to because I just can’t. It hurts my heart to see a brother confused about Gods right way. I know at one point I asked another minister I know reach out to Tonex because he had more stature than I. I don’t know the result but I pray that Tonex comes back to the fold. I heard recently that a famous female gospel rock singer came out as gay. Its strange to me that you can come out as an outright sinner and your music still be embraced as Christian? What makes them different then sinful mainstream artist who give thanks to god at award shows for booty shaking songs that glorify sin and sex?

One of the triumphs that I’ve seen is those who turn tragedy to triumph and create a ministry from the pain. One of the first examples that touched me was the late Enock. Minister RMB who had a struggle with masturbation has started a successful Don’t Be Pimped ministry. Even though he has recovered from divorce. He, like Braille, have taken the pain of their divorces to seek God, to carry on and provide ministry to those of us with similar struggled. Its been painful to watch the ups and downs. But its good too see our brothers come back and rise up. There does seem to be pressure on marriages today. Satan is seeking to destroy them and public marriages seem to be hit hardest. If your marriage is public then people tend to lend voice and advice which only seem to worsen the situations. I pray we can be wise and keep our family life private and our public ministry separate because I don’t want to see too many more public rise and falls of marriages. Too me a good marriage is one that speaks silently that years later they are still together and in love. No sound bites, no photo ops, no press junkets, just love that last beyond the honey moon phase into the geriatric phase.

At times it seems we do lift people above reproach and when they fall we loose hope. Because we put our hopes in man not Gods manna (supernatural provision). We should put our hopes in God not man. Artist do at time lift themselves up to such a high platform that when their humanity shows through we are shocked. It shouldn’t surprise the artists that we are shocked that they are human. They should be more honest about their humanity. Its important to preach the gospel, but in that comes the preaching the fallen nature of mankind. It is only the redemptive nature of the Cross that can heal and uplift our human nature through sanctification to a place of healing and wholeness. We must be cautious when we stand lest we fall and have many brothers to hold us up. Its time we pull together and pick up our fallen soldiers. Whether they have turned away to the dark side of sin, or the middle ground of lost-ness (between church and the streets) or be it those who seem to have it together. I know from being on staff at a church in full time ministry, pastors are human as the rest of us. We should not lift anyone up so high that when they fall our faith falters. We must lift each other up. When you put yourself in the limelight and expose yourself you become a target. You need more prayer and support because you have that much more coming against you. So lets lift the fallen, rejoice with the restored and remember those who have went home to our father.

Print PDF