Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:4 ESV)

Since God made His covenant with Abraham and promised to bless his descendants it has been revealed that our blessings were never intended to only bless us individually. It is not only out of generosity and kindness that we should bless others, but out of obedience to the commandment to love our neighbors. 

I am astonished by the individual nature of our society in America. It seriously perplexes me. Can we still even call it a society? We live in communities, but are we collaborative, cooperative, or embracive? We have social networks that have made us socially awkward. 

Perhaps this is not the place for a critique of society. It may be besides the point. 

There has been numerous times in my life when the blessings I receive from God overwhelm me. There is a sense of not being deserving of the them (in fact I know I don't deserve anything). That sense has created the urge to better understand why, even when I veer off the path of righteousness, do I still receive an abundance of blessings. The only answer I have found is that it is because I am meant to share my blessings with others (to whom much is given, much is required). Blessings are meant to flow through us. A blessing may be meant for you specifically, but it is not meant to end with you. 

The first Psalm proclaims that the blessed person is like a tree planted by water that bears fruit and whose leaves do not wither. In all that the blessed person does, that person prospers. As Christians we are set out to be fruitful. What good is a tree that bears no fruit and whose leaves wither? What good comes to the world if we only prosper ourselves? 

The concept of blessings flowing through us is very similar to "pay it forward." We should look to bless others because there is no way we can bless our original benefactor. Although a reward for this behavior should not be our intention, there is one promised. Luke 6:35a states:

"But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great..."

I challenge you. Next time you receive a blessing, whether it be spiritual or physical, think about how you can use that blessing to benefit someone other than yourself.

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On June 18th, J. Cole is set to release his sophomore album, Born Sinner. It is available now to stream on bornsinner.com. 

Cole has repeatedly stressed in interviews that the underlying theme of this album is not church related. I beg to differ. While the subject matter is explicitly lascivious and vulgar, the overall concept is a fundamental aspect of the Christian experience.

In a musical genre dominated by elaborate tales ranging from excessive spending to sexual conquests it is rare to hear an artist deal with topics open and honestly. Cole's first spoken words on the album are, "It's way darker this time." Some content may seem dismal, but Jermaine has made himself completely transparent. He has laid all his cards on the table while still possessing the same lyrical prowess that has drawn so many people to him in the first place.

In all facets this is a public, very public, confession.

1. Villuminati - "Sometimes I brag like Hov." Cole kicks off the album with confessing his tendency to be a braggart. Cole has earned the right to put his humility aside to establish himself as a force to be reckoned with. But, nonetheless, lack of humility has led to many people's downfalls.

3. Land Of The Snakes - Here J. Cole manages to slide the theme of the album into the track. "Who more thorough than me?/ I paint a picture of my pain for the world to see." He describes his surroundings as being filled with untrustworthy/devious individuals. By the end of the track he confesses that he once displayed similar qualities.

5. Mo Money - This theme wouldn't be complete without the root of all evil; money. This track is more about what others do to obtain money than a personal confession but Cole does confess to the wicked ways he spends his money.

7. Runaway - Cole confesses his struggle to stay faithful in his relationship while handling the temptations that accompany becoming famous. "Acting out my childhood fantasies of wife and home/ but there's a whole lot of actresses I'd like to bone"

9. Rich N***** - On this track Jermaine confesses how he despises those who have more money than him because of living most of his life without having much. He also confesses to not wanting to be like his father. "But listen here/ I got a bigger fear/ of one day that I become you/ and I become lost and I become heartless." This line has a dual meaning speaking on his disdain for his father and the music industry for the selling of dreams and false hope. 

12. Chaining Day - "Look at me, pathetic n****, this chain that I bought/ you mix greed, fame, and pain, this a heinous result." Any fan of J. Cole knows that he is far from flashy. Cole lets us know, "my last piece I swear/ my guilt heavy as this piece I wear." Cole confesses his inability to fight off the allure of buying expensive jewelry that comes with being in the hiphop industry. 

"It's J. Cole/ set of horns and a halo." Cole's logo is a perfect metaphor for his personality, which shines through every track on this album. Cole uses this platform to let go of his demons. Are these demons a result of the music industry? The title, Born Sinner, would suggest that perhaps the music industry only served to amplify Cole's faults. The deep sounds of anguish coming from disappointment in both himself and the rap industry resonate through each verse. 

1 John 1:9 states, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." The purpose of confession is reconciliation. Who does Cole wish to reconcile with? Is he attempting to reconcile with himself, with his family, with his girlfriend, or with his fans? 

I cannot answer that question, but this album has reminded me that, as Christians, often a public confession of our sins is needed. James tells us to "confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." (James 5:16a). 

Like J. Cole, we were born into sin. And like J. Cole, we all deal with demons. The longer we try to supress those demons, the more they will control us. Often, the best way to heal ourselves and mend our broken relationships with God and with others begins with a honest public confession. 

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Over the past few years I have had several people ask me, “How do you know when God is giving you a sign?” Some have even asked, “How do you know when God is moving in your life?” These are difficult questions to answer. I cannot say to someone asking these questions, “When you know, you know,” albeit that is how I feel. 

To be honest, it has been rather easy to discern God’s will for my life as of late. I am not boasting or claiming to be any more spiritual than the next person. For all I know God could be making it so clear to me because I am actually less spiritual than the next person. I hope that is not the case. 

To begin to understand how God works or how God moves we must be able to watch God. How do we watch God? We must watch God with an uncanny eye. Proverbs 8:34 states:

“Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors.” 

Jesus instructs the disciples in Matthew to “watch and pray.” In his letter to the Colossians, Paul writes, “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” All of these passages refer to a sense of watching spiritually. Notice how they are attached to prayer. Prayer is at the beginning of building a relationship with God. Through prayer and building a strong relationship with God we are made ready to watch spiritually. 1 Thessalonians 5:6 states: 

“Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” 

In order to recognize the way God is working/moving in our lives we must be awake and alert and we must not get caught sleeping or get caught unprepared. The easiest way to ensure this is by removing distractions. We, as Christians in America, live very busy lives. We work, we go to school, we raise children, and we pursue our dreams. Outside of Sunday and Wednesday we leave very little time for God. When we pray for God to show us a sign or for help directing our lives we look for the answer in the midst of our cluttered lives. 

Why is this so? My suspicion is that one reason we do this is because we expect the answer to come immediately. Let’s be honest for a second. We do treat God like a spiritual ATM. That’s how our society works. We live in a fast paced world where demands and needs are quickly met. We have lost the ability to wait, especially when it comes to waiting on God. 

Being unable to wait is a sign of being caught asleep spiritually. Impatience often comes from a lack of faith. I heard a preacher not too long ago touch on the subject of impatience. Think, for a second, of the consequences of being impatient. His example was Esau. He sold his birthright to Jacob because he was impatient. He exaggerated his situation to justify the decision he made. He said he was “about to die” so that his birthright was useless to him. Was a bowl of stew worth his birthright? Absolutely not! If we do not learn how to wait on God we will end up with our own bowl of stew. 

Waiting does not imply doing nothing. Sue Monk Kidd, author of The Secret Life of Bees, tells a story that reflects our often mistaken viewpoint on waiting. During a retreat at a monastery, in her restless state, she notices a monk: 

 "[He was] sitting perfectly still beneath a tree. There was such reverence in his silhouette, such tranquil sturdiness, that I paused to watch. He was the picture of waiting. 

 "Later I sought him out. ‘I saw you today sitting beneath the tree—just sitting there so still. How is it that you can wait so patiently in the moment? I can't seem to get used to the idea of doing nothing.' 

"He broke into a wonderful grin. 'Well, there's the problem right there, young lady. You've bought into the cultural myth that when you're waiting you're doing nothing.' 

"Then he took his hands and placed them on my shoulders, peered straight into my eyes and said, 'I hope you'll hear what I'm about to tell you. I hope you'll hear it all the way down to your toes. When you're waiting, you're not doing nothing. You're doing the most important something there is. You're allowing your soul to grow up. If you can't be still and wait, you can't become what God created you to be.'” 

The ability to be still is an important skill to acquire. Take for example a frog. A frog sits still, waiting for its prey and watching. A frog knows exactly how its prey moves. If a frog's prey is not moving the frog does not react. In fact, 100 flies could be directly in front of a frog, but if they do not move the frog does not notice that breakfast, lunch, and dinner is right there in plain sight. 

What if our spiritual vision was similar? What if we built our relationship with God to the point where we could watch Him? What if we were able to be still and only focus on the movements of God? It would be so much easier to walk down the path God has created for us. 

Through prayer we build our relationship with God and begin to train our spiritual eyes. We then must learn to be still in our daily lives so that we give ourselves the opportunity to focus on God. Finally, we must wait patiently and watch closely for God to move. 

 "But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me." - Micah 7:7

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Malcolm X would have been 88 years old yesterday.

The past few years his name has been in quite a few headlines. From the recent passing of his grandson to the controversial book authored by Manning Mannable, history cannot forget Malcolm X. And it should not.

Many people have tried to define the legacy of Malcolm X. I am not up to that task. I simply wish to define what X has meant to me.

The characteristics that made Dr. King one of my favorite figures in history are the same characteristics that drew me to Malcolm X. What was at the forefront of his movement was the understanding that the world, as it was, was not the world intended by God. Also, he understood that only through God could we begin to transform ourselves and eventually the world.

Studying Malcolm X led to me gaining an understanding and an appreciation for my culture and heritage. For many others Malcolm X defined what it meant to be a Black man. X was also incredibly disciplined. This was actually a key aspect of the Black Muslim movement. Members of the Nation of Islam were polite, wore suits, abstained from drugs and alcohol, did not swear, broke no laws, worked hard, and were encouraged to marry and have children. All of these values were taught to me by my father and leaders in my church which made it easy to identify with X.

Had he not been assassinated the world would probably be an entirely different place. However, I do not like to deal in “what if’s.” It is best to reflect on the life of such a great person so that we can grow individually.

I reflect on the life of Malcolm X and seek to become as selfless as he was. Malcolm never sought to build himself up, rather in the words of Earl Hutchinson, “the quest for justice and true equality, and the restoration of pride in the history and heritage of African-Americans was the ultimate reward for him.”

Malcolm X died in the struggle to create a better world. Jesus is quoted in John 15:13 as saying, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” This is the mark of a true disciple: to love others with the same love that God displayed. Ultimate sacrifice through selflessness is the sign of an individual that understands an important part of the message of the gospel.

Malcolm X will continue to make headlines for years to come. History cannot forget Malcolm X because history cannot afford to forget Malcolm X. Not when his words still ring true: 

“And in my opinion the young generation of whites, blacks, browns, whatever else there is, you’re living at a time of extremism, a time of revolution, a time when there’s got to be a change. People in power have misused it, and now there has to be change and a better world has to be built, and the only way it’s going to be built is with extreme methods. I for one will join in with anyone, I don’t care what color you are, as long as you want to change this miserable condition that exists on this earth.”

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"Faith seeks understanding. I do not seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand." - Anselm of Canterbury

 Anselm of Canterbury was a Benedictine monk born in the 11th century. According to Anselm, faith precedes reason. Through reason we are unable to find God. But through first having faith in God, God will reveal himself unto us. The authors of this blog have already taken the preliminary step of faith. We wish to use this space to log our reflections on Christianity, spirituality, and on life as we experience it as young Black Christians in 21st century America.

We hope that this blog can be a place that inspires, illuminates, and sparks productive dialogue. We hope that our journey towards understanding will lead others to embark on a similar path or be helpful to those already on one. Please comment freely and be sure to return.

-The Ghetto Monk

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