When late night CBS host James Corden asked entertainment superstar Kanye West about the authenticity of his newfound faith in Jesus, the rapper replied, “When you go to sleep, would you agree that you are asleep when you are asleep? And when you wake up, would you agree that you are awake when you are awake? Would you agree those are two different states? People who don’t believe are walking dead; they are asleep. And this is the awakening.”
Skeptics of every stripe have wondered how a man with a career as prolific and explicit as West’s could possibly have a genuine conversion at such breakneck speed. For West, though, the change was as natural as waking up, a reference to Romans 6.
California megachurch pastor Greg Laurie talked about West’s public transformation over the weekend, addressing those who aren’t so sure about TV personality Kim Kardashian’s husband.
“Just shut up for a minute, OK? How about this: pray for him,” said Laurie, founding pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside. “Pray that he gets grounded in his faith, pray that he’s a seed sown on good ground that brings forth much fruit.”
“I applaud any person that makes any movement toward God,” he continued. “And I want to encourage them in that, not critique them about that. And I think it’s fantastic because he’s taking his considerable platform — and he has quite a platform, doesn’t he? — to talk about faith. It has people talking about Jesus. I’m happy for that conversation, people that wouldn’t normally be talking about the Lord.”
Laurie concluded by adding, “We all have a pulpit to preach from, no matter who we are, no matter what we do.”
The California preacher’s comments came right after West released his highly anticipated album, “Jesus Is King,” which is chockfull of references to Scripture and the entertainer’s Christian faith.
Last week, ahead of the release of his latest record, West told Beats 1 show host Zane Lowe that he’s “now in service to Christ,” adding, “My job is to spread the Gospel, to let people know what Jesus has done for me.”
“I’m not longer a slave,” he said. “I’m a son now, a son of God. I’m free.”