KANYE WEST VS THE HOLY BIBLE

“I just talked to Jesus, he said, ‘What up, Yeezus?’” – Kanye West

Rapper Kanye West is a cultural phenomenon. He is on Time’s list of The 100 Most Influential People. He’s released seven albums and won a total of 21 Grammys. He married Kim Kardashian. By the measure of worldly standards, West is incredibly successful. And if you said that to him, West would likely agree with you.

West is not known for his humility, but for his ability to trumpet his talent and worldview at every chance. On his latest release, Yeezus, he even has a song titled, “I Am A God.” So you would think that the “Book of Yeezus” would be the next line in the variety of products West offers. It’s not.

Two artists have taken the liberty of replacing any reference to God in the book of Genesis with West’s name. On their website, the artists defend their work as, “a social commentary on the religion and spectacle of media icons in the 21st century.” In an interview with the Christian post, one of the authors (who declined to reveal his identity) said that as society has become more intellectual, the less compatible God has become to society. “The reason we say what would the Bible look like in the modern world, it’s sort of how would the Bible adapt to this modern world view?”

Some readers might wonder why something like this is worth commentary. The world consistently mocks and derides Christianity and the Bible, why is this different? The difference is in the medium of art. There are many ways to draw attention to the fact that culture worships media icons. However, the authors decided editing sacred text to prove an artistic point was the best way to go.

The Word of God is necessary and vital to the Christian faith. It is the record of thousands of years of history and promise. Its words are instruction and life to those committed to walking with Jesus. It is the inerrant word of God to us. When it is used with artistic license, we should take note.

As the church, we need to examine our hearts and doctrines to ensure we have a right view of Scripture and who it points to. Do we see the Bible as God’s communication to us through His writers as inspiration from the Holy Spirit or just another text that’s handy to preach from on Sunday morning? Do we believe that Scripture is the sharp, two-edged sword as described in Hebrews, able to discern the thoughts and intents of our hearts? To Christ-followers, Scripture isn’t a rule book of dos and don’ts. It is that which points us to the person of Jesus, who John described as ‘the Word who was with God and who was God.’ Its pages reveal the commands of God to us and lead us in the way of everlasting life. It shows us the depth of the love of God for us.

 And that’s what the creators of “The Book Of Yeezus” don’t seem to understand. To them, the Bible is just another passé book that speaks about a God of old who doesn’t fit this modern era.