A Few Thoughtz: Da Truth, Tye Tribbett, and Ambassador (Pt. 1)

Peace and blessings,

This past Thanksgiving, I was talking with some friends of mine and received some shocking news: two rappers that have played an instrumental role in not only my interest and respect for Christian hip-hop and my personal growth as a Christian, have either been discontinued from Crossmovement records or have taken a Sabbatical due to moral indiscretions. When I heard it, I initially questioned whether or not it was true. I was skeptical of the sources from which my friend had received the information, and I wanted to look up the info myself. After a quick google search, it was clear that what my friend told me was accurate.

A summary of the incident involving Da Truth and Tye Tribbet can be be found here, and info on Ambassador can be found here. My prayers go out to each of these artists and their families as God works with them and heals them Once I found out that these allegations were true, a friend of mine asked me if I was still going to listen to their music. At that point I started thinking about the implications of these incidents for those who listen to their music, and more importantly for us as Christians.

Regarding the first implication, I think that a major factor preventing some people from following Christ or re-connecting with Christ is their disappointment with the actions of other Christians. To this end, I really appreciate how Da Truth, in his written statement about the issue, urged his listeners to NOT take his lapse in judgment as a reflection of the God he serves. This is difficult distinction to make, but a necessary one. Our failures as humans are not an indication that the God we serve is not "legit." God's legitimacy and supremacy over our lives goes with out saying. However, like an appliance that needs power from an outlet to work properly, we too need to choose to remain "plugged in" to God in order to live a life pleasing to Him.

Regarding the second implication, I think that how the body of Christ moves forward in this matter is important. In particular, I believe that every now and then situations come up, and how we as a body react to those situations speaks volumes about our priorities at a given moment. Given that Da Truth, Tye Tribbett, and Ambassador have been preaching Christ through their music for years, and take ministry very seriously, the fact that these incidents took place is indeed disheartening. With that said, Jesus taught us both the difficulties, importance, and necessity, of showing love, forgiveness, and compassion towards others, especially when they feel like they don't deserve it.

Therefore, my prayer is that we focus less on our reactions to the acts themselves, and more on how can I pray for and encourage them through this difficult time. No one's exempt from "dropping the ball" if we're not careful. What's at stake is much larger than the acts themselves. As the God we serve is larger than any person or behavior, so should be our capacities for love, forgiveness, and compassion. I'm not saying responding in this way is easily (because it's not), but it's necessary. How we as Christians respond to these and other situations of this magnitude) speaks volumes. Let's respond focus on the things of Christ (e.g., love, forgiveness, and compassion), and not the things of man(passing judgment, slander, etc...).

What do you think? Take care, God bless, and speekonit..