Secular VERZUZ Sacred

This past Sunday was Pentecost, which is the day that Christians celebrate as the birthday of the Church. In the Bible, The Book of Acts tells us that people of various ethnicities were gathered together in one place. As they gathered, tongues of fire rested upon each person, and they all spoke in languages other than their own. The Holy Spirit, embodied in these elements of fire, manifested among them. To combat detractors who were claiming the people were drunk, Peter makes an address borrowing from the prophet Joel. The writer ends the story (or begins it, really) by saying:

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
—Acts 2:42-47

Kirk Franklin (left); Fred Hammond (right)

Another event happened this past Sunday. Approximately three hundred thousand people witnessed the Verzuz Battle on Instagram Live between award-winning, veteran gospel artists Kirk Franklin and Fred Hammond. Verzuz is an Instagram account managed by Grammy award-winning music producers Swizz Beatz and Timbaland. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they have hosted battles where selected artists take turns playing their hit records. We've watched competitions between neo-soul artists Erykah Badu and Jill Scott, rappers Nelly and Ludacris, and reggae/dancehall artists Bounty Killa and Beenie Man. This time, Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond, and special friends (including Bishop T.D. Jakes who opened the event in prayer) took us to church.

From its inception, Verzuz attracted a large celebrity crowd. And this session was no different. Celebrities, including Snoop Dogg, Kerry Washington, Devon Franklin, Letitia Wright, Lena Waithe, Lizzo, and many more participated in the comments section. It seemed that everyone (famous or not) had a common bond through not just humanity, but also spirituality. This may be a controversial assertion because many of the celebrities produce content that some would understand to be at odds with traditional Christian values. But no matter who you were, you reminisced on Gospel hit after hit. It was a celebration.

But Franklin and Hammond reminded us that early in their careers, church folks did not accept their new styles of ministry. Churches criticised them for infusing secular fashion, musicality, and marketing. Franklin even featured Salt (whose real name is Cheryl James) from 90s rap group Salt-N-Peppa on his 1997 Billboard hit “Stomp.” At the time, this seemed sacrilegious.

Yet, this is not the first time the Church has struggled with artistic expression–from the iconoclasm to black music forms birthed from Gospel (such as soul, rhythm and blues, and rock and roll). Musicians expressed spirituality in an efficacious manner, even if they weren’t singing about Jesus. Christians overtime have objected to non-religious art forms and called for the separation of the two realms. Evangelical Christians would often say that God calls believers to be "in the world and not of it." In hindsight, many would probably admit that this mindset held a somewhat myopic view. Some might also concede that the church distracted itself from the message with a pedantic obsession over the method.

For Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, and Lena Waithe (who assisted organising the event), this live event was not a “battle.” It was actually branded as “The Healing.” And healing it was. It was the very balm in Gilead that many needed at this moment. All over the United States, people are protesting in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, as well as the recent killings of Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, and the extensive list of Black people who died at the hands of law enforcement and systemic racism. The injustice that Black people continue to face has once again surfaced to the mass consciousness. As the week progressed, tensions raged on. But during and after the highly anticipated Verzuz event on Sunday, two prophetic songs from Franklin and Hammond trended online: "Revolution" and "No Weapon" (respectively).

Walking in the footsteps of civil rights activists (particularly those in the arts like Harry Belafonte, Nina Simone, Mahalia Jackson, and others), Franklin and Hammond provided anthems of hope and healing for the times. On this Pentecost, they brought people together in one room from all walks of life. They bridged the chasm between our perception of the earthly and the holy. But the fact is that in moments like this, secular versus sacred is a false dichotomy. At the intersection of both, there is truth. And if we attend to this truth, it will set us free.