Crew Love

"Everybody wanna know what my Achilles heel is.  Love!  I don't get enough of it, all I get is these vampires and bloodsuckers." - Jay-Z, Monster 2011

Here, we see the self-proclaimed pagan god of hip-hop acknowledge that even though he is fiendishly murdering the competition (which he believes has made him a coveted but elusive target), the slaughter would be non-existent if he were to receive more love from his contemporaries.  I believe the love the artist is referring to isn't the Al Green Love and Happiness type, it's more like the Scarface My Homies kind.  It's plain to see that Jay craves for acceptance like the peons he makes fun of.  That's the common thread for all human beings...the feeling of unity with something, anything.

It's one of the reasons thousands of young adults endure psychological and physical abuse to join fraternities and sororities.  It plays a big part in why many of us began drinking alcohol, using drugs, and/or having sex.  We just wanna be down.  And because love/belonging is a key principle in human development (#3 on the widely revered Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory), it very well may be the driving force behind millions of lives. 

And no one should be faulted for wanting to belong.  Jehovah in His loving kindness is a proponent of this; saying that He will never leave us lonely (Joshua 1:5, Hebrews 13:5).  It appears our God clearly gets the need of authentic companionship with us, but often times we don't get the need for the same type of companionship with God.  On the other hand, we yearn for grouping ourselves with other people while merely associating ourselves with the Lord.  That lust for association leads to that lukewarm issue Jesus talked about in Revelation 3:15;  the very issue that will get many alleged Christians tossed out of line.

1 Peter 2:9 explains that followers of Christ are a chosen generation to carry the banner of the Lord.  Sounds great when at church, but I'm sure this was not the extent of Peter's platform.  Without question I believe he was referring to being a "peculiar people" while living on planet earth...meaning not always gettin' down with the latest trend, not voting for the candidate just because he's popular in your surroundings, not following the status quo.  Instead, we are to be lead by the Holy Spirit in each decision.  And this could mean going in the opposite direction of your friends, some of your family members (excluding husband and wife), your race, and maybe your good ol' home church...that is if they aren't committed to following God's Word.  Rebelling against society to follow Christ may (well, really should) be a tad uncomfortable in the short term, but we must believe that leaning on God's understanding will bring us into the wonderful place He desires for us.  More than likely that place is far more beneficial and efficient than what we could have crafted.

Peep this...you paid for that membership with money, but Christ paid for you with His life.

Peace