How Real is Real

Some years ago, the run of the mill hip-hop album would be structured like this:

• Start off representing your neighborhood, your [commercialized or authentic] gang, and or yourself
• Continue the theme of how real you are by ensuring that you or your gang will kill anyone
• Do a few songs for the women who don't mind being disrespected or who disrespect themselves
• Add another that really shows your soft side
• Thank God/ask God for forgiveness for...uh...being able to do all of the above

While everyone is all up in arms about artists like Tyler the Creator and Rihanna; who blatantly show no regard for the Lord God, I happen to find it quite comforting and appropriate.  See, my issue is with those artists who are murderers, prostitutes, and womanizers for an entire project...and then have the nerve to get on an award stage and thank God.  And then they do it all over again for the next go 'round; and thank God again for the continued success.  Or the artists that are super spiritual during the BET Celebration of Christian R&B...uh...Gospel; and then are back to the Patron before the show airs.  At least Tyler is pretty clear on his devil worship; but these others are...well...like some of us.  Distancing ourselves from a real relationship with Christ, while acknowledging our shortcomings as reality.

Maybe getting on some of these musical artists isn't too fair.  Because the fact is that everyone is a little scared to be hit with the hypocrite tag; although everyone to some degree is.  So because of that, we leave a little room for error.  To justify that room, we may use the point "at least I'm keeping it real" when defending our desire to behave in our less honorable traits.  And while I understand that, the question always comes to mind...if we're keeping it real when we're negative, then how real is real?  

When strongly stating a reason for moral failure with the "keeping it real" line, are we really saying that our ability to operate in evil is more authentic than our ability to operate in good?  Is the strength that comes from doing what we feel more powerful than the strength to overcome personal adversity?  We sing Jesus is Real in churches across America every Sunday.  But is He not as real as us?  Or have we determined real to be our sinful selves and lean on Christ when we can't conceptualize our reality?  Or, to us, is Jesus not real at all?

We all make mistakes, but is it too much for us to expect better from...us?  How often do we start the day looking in the mirror saying something like "greater is He that is in me (1 John 4:4), and so today I will be confident in that"?  And for those who do say that, how often do we make concentrated efforts to carry that statement out?  Because the truth is that the Christ that is in you is more real than anything you're feeling, going through, or even who you think you are.  The question is do you agree with that reality, or the one you're comfortable with.

Be blessed, be peaceful, be real...