A religious revival has taken hold of America.
Angels are not only in the outfield but also on the screens of prime time network TV: Teen Angel is a sitcom hit for kids, and gospel preacher Della Reese's CBS drama, Touched by an Angel, is still a Top 10 Nielsen's rater. Stompin' and testifyin', Kirk Franklin stalks secular sales charts with his aggressive brand of religious music.
And the evangelic men's movement, The Promise Keepers, conducts stadium-filled services coast to coast.
It all makes sense. As the millennium approaches, and ever expanding technology threatens to depersonalize every aspect of life, folks are hungrier than ever for comfort and a connection to something bigger.
Of course, hip hop is no stranger to divine inspiration. While diamond-encrusted Jesus pieces rest on the chests of a nation of younger MCs, Joseph "Reverend Run" Simmions is heading up Def Jam's gospel division. And Puffy's Bad Boy Entertainment is due to release a gospel compilation sometime this year. Tupac, when he was alive, was obsessed with transposing and deconstructing Christian images. By continually asking if there was a heaven for a G, 'Pac wrestled with biblical notions of good and evil, sin and redemption.
But wearing a flashy gold crucifix doesn't put a person in the rarefied realm of the faithful and neither does a random shout-out to God on your record sleeve. True faith implies living by a moral code-upholding certain standards of behavior. Too often, though, what passes for discipline is sheer dogmatism. It's a fine line to walk.
In any tradition, fundamentalism can easily turn to fascism. The Promise Keepers' version of family values, for example, dresses up an antiquated patriarchy with the language of "loving your wife."
In the end, if your religion doesn't bless you with hope and moral vision-ideals that transcend getting' a Benz or a Rolex- your serving a god of little use to you. And if your religion doesn't leave you dissatisfied with injustice, pain, and corruption, then it's of little use to the world. Worthwhile religion is a full-time gig: a heartful, clear-headed effort to spread love and tame despair-with conscience and conviction.
The Reverend Michael Eric Dyson
VIBE February 1998* Volume 6, Number1
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