I wasn't there when it happened, so excuse some of my massive ignorance on the matter. However, when I heard of news that rapper Kanye West halted his show recently in Australia and demanded that everyone stand up, I perked up. It isn't so exceptional a thing to perceive. After all, I have been to concerts and heard some seemingly far less self-absorbed artists requesting the same of their respective audiences. But the news that he stopped the show altogether as two people in the massive audience weren't standing made me a bit curious. Apparently as he continued to call them out and they refused to stand he got all the more agitated. But there was a fundamental problem: neither of the two WERE ABLE to stand. In fact the prosthetic limb one of them eventually held up helped indicate the inability. While the shiny wheels likely glistening from the reflection of the stage lights, if not Kanye's bling, from the wheelchair in which this show-goer sat, indicated to all others the inability to stand.
But Kanye apparently hadn't noticed this. And so he persisted that they stand, until this news was made apparent to him. I wasn't there, but oh I wish I had been able to view this. And while I know little of the scene, and less of the man, it has struck me as to how this entire picture appears but a microcosm of something much larger.
This show (in Australia) was one of a larger tour simply known as the "Yeezus Tour." It doesn't take anyone with any simple working knowledge of pop culture to know that Kanye West seems to have some significant desire to put himself up against Jesus. The name of the tour certainly indicates something of that. Further, he has been known to dress up an individual like Jesus who at one point during the concert walks out on stage. It's been said by those who follow West and follow his tour that his efforts are not to glorify Christ, but rather to make a full out mockery of Christ. Whether or not that is the case I do not know. I can only say that there are significant inconsistencies between the Christ I read about and the Kanye West I read about that would at least lead me to question whether or not he really is a Christian as he says. I am at least led to wonder if then West's efforts are really more self-driven, rather than an effort to glorify Christ. To which, if I, or you, or anyone has to wonder, Kanye West needs to clarify his stance because of all these inconsistencies, since then his message is not being clearly understood.
So hear me when I say that this whole picture (and tour for that matter) strikes me as every bit ironic. Kanye West is not worthy of glory and honor such that men, mortals every bit LIKE HIM, should stand up and essentially praise him. Indeed, the words of this man were not effective to bring all to their feet in his presence. Some just weren't able in that moment to rise up and praise him.
I see something marvelous in Scripture about Jesus. When he crossed the broken, the lame, the crippled...He HEALED THEM. He and He alone was able to get anyone and everyone to stand in HIS PRESENCE. That very fact speaks to some infinitely greater power in Jesus than in this one of the "Yeezus" Tour. And as Jesus went on His way He was ever compassionate to meet people in their misery, brokenness, and pain. It was this compassion of Jesus that is so bright shining, and unique, and powerful, all of which makes the lights and lasers of a Kanye West show appear as darkness at best.
Kanye tried, he persisted, he put all else on hold in effort to get the two to stand. But their limitations made his command appear ineffectual. It is because Kanye West is a human and by definition then, ineffectual (at least unto getting what he demanded in this case). And even stopping his singing, his dancing, his music, his everything to focus on getting these two to stand still did not enable him to bring about what he demanded.
But the limitations of Jesus' audience never got in the way of the desire Jesus had to get them standing. Jesus' power not only healed, but even caused the dead to come back to life, without even being near the deceased (Mark. 9:18-26). And when the "tour of Jesus" stopped and one in his audience was dead, Jesus could use His own voice and speak and cause the dead to rise (John 11:43-44). And even as Jesus was doing all this, He didn't have to pause His ability to keep the hearts of those around Him beating. Nor did He have to cease to "hold together" the universe by His power (Col. 1:17). Jesus was able to focus on everything on a massive, galactic, spiritual and physical, temporal and eternal scale, and even then was still able to bring about the resurrection of life in Lazarus.
And so it stands for this, and an infinite number more reasons that Jesus rules and reigns and will do so forever and ever. Indeed the picture of the coming day where "every knee will bow, and every tongue confess[ing] that Jesus Christ is LORD" is a most powerful one that daily Kanye West needs to consider. And the reality is, I need to consider it, and you need to consider it. And then we all need to ask for grace to learn to live in light of it. This is the good news: Christ has no equal. And He stands alone worthy of all glory and honor and praise. So stand up and PRAISE JESUS!
