A Few Thoughtz: Eye Witness Books 1-3

Peace and blessings,

This past December, I was finally able to read the Eye Witness graphic novel series by Robert Luedke. There are currently three books out, and a fourth book is on its way.




The premise of the story is that a renowned archeologist (Dr. Harper, atheist/skeptic) is asked to join other archeologists and scholars of various expertise to try and make sense of a discovery that could "change everything." Once Dr. Harper meets up with the other scholars, helps them make sense of the discovery by identifying and decoding the language the ancient text was written in. It turns out that the text is the first hard core evidence of the life of Jesus Christ: an eye witness's account of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. Once the text is decoded, Dr. Harper and his assistant find themselves in plenty of danger, as someone clearly does not want this information to get out to the masses. In the midst of all of this, Dr. Harper's assistant, a devout Christian, encourages him to give God a try, and Dr. Harper takes him up on the offer. Throughout story, the decoding of the ancient text and the adventure and suspense that ensues afterwards is paralleled with flashbacks into first century A.D. as a way to bear witness to Jesus' death and resurrection, and the experiences of Jesus' followers during these times.




Book two picks up where book one left off, with Dr. Harper trying to stay alive while also keeping his discovery alive. He finds out that whoever is behind these attacks on his life will stop at nothing to silence his discovery. Meanwhile, Dr. Harper is exploring the implications of his choice to give God a try more deeply, and it's evidenced by him slipping into trances/passing out and being "sent" to first century A.D. to witness how the first century Christians were persecuted, while at the same time fervently bearing witness to a risen Jesus Christ. In particular, the focus eventually shifts to Paul, and his role as a protector of the Jewish law and "hater" of the Christ followers. However, he soon has a change of heart after encountering Christ for himself...




In book three, the plot thickens as the major players are introduced, and their reasons for and role in preventing this discovery from going public are becoming more clear. Dr. Harper enlists the help of his friend who has some experience in "hiding" to lay low for a while, all while continue to learn what it means to trust in a God he lived so much of his life choosing not to acknowledge let alone believe in. Back in the first century A.D.,Paul is trying to make sense of this "180" he has just experienced, and how to go about letting as many people as possible know (including the Christians he himself persecuted as well as those with whom he persecuted Christians with) about the love and saving grace of Jesus Christ. Further, he wanted to tell them how he thought he knew what was right from wrong, until Jesus showed him the correct path.

Here is a trailer for the series:



As mentioned before, book four is coming soon, and will pick up where book three left off. If you're interested in a detailed and vivid account of what it must have been life for Jesus' followers, persecutors, and for bystanders, then definitely check out the series. For those who have read it already, let me know what you think. Until next time, stay blessed and speekonit...

A Few Thoughtz: The Book of Eli

Peace and blessings,

As someone who has already seen The Book of Eli twice, I wanted to share a few thoughts on why I think it's such a great movie. However, in an effort to make sure I do not reveal any major spoilers that would ruin the experience for those who have yet to see it, I will only highlight three abstract themes that I think the movie speaks to. Ok, here it goes....



(1) The idea that no matter the relative wealth or stability a society has, it's overall "strength" is determined by how it treats those without power or influence. The movie highlights just how easy (or one could say "natural") it is for humans to exploit and deceive each other, especially when the exploiters and deceivers seek to benefit by doing so.





(2) The idea that our lives are measured not just by the paths we choose and whether we stay on them (assuming we believe staying on the path is the "right" thing to do), but also by how we treat others along the way. One of the movie's messages seemed to be that no matter how important our individual "missions" are life, we should never lose sight of the importance of loving and respecting others.



(3) The idea that knowledge, not power through violence, greed, or coercion, is the key to humanity "rebuilding itself" from the ground up. The idea that there's an absolute truth that speaks to our purpose in life, and that there's an inherent need to seek out this purpose is communicated beautifully throughout the movie.








Below is a trailer for the movie:





If you've seen it already, what did you think? Likes? Dislikes? If you have not seen it yet, do you plan on it? Why or why not? Take care, God bless and speekonit...

P.S. Later down the line once the movie's no longer in the theaters, I plan on doing a more in-depth analysis of these and other key elements in the movie.

Whatever it Takes

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race" - Calvin Coolridge

Peace and blessings,

Following up on a recent post about education, I wanted to highlight a couple of programs that are making significant strides in "turning the tide" with regards to the education of black and brown students. Both of these programs have a very ambitious and noble goal: to have each student who attends their school attend college. Although their educational philosophies may differ in some ways in terms of the student accountability - parent/staff accountability continuum, one thing is clear: Their schools and staff are committed to doing whatever it takes to help their students actualize their potential.

The first clip is of the Harlem Children's Zone, founded by Geoffrey Canada:




The second clip is of the Capital Prep School, founded by Steve Perry:




What do you think? Until next time, stay blessed and speekonit...

Missing the Big Picture?

Peace and Blessings,

As soon as the devastating events in Haiti took place, I was both shocked and outraged to hear that some Christian leaders were speaking on the current situation in Haiti as if they "brought this on themselves." A while back I talked about how I think there are "critical points" in the Christian walk where how we as Christians choose to respond can have significant implications as to what we are focusing on at that moment. In the earlier post I was referring to the incidents involving some Christian musicians, and now I feel like that "blame them" response to Haiti is another example. During a time when Haiti needs the love of Christ and of His followers the most, some leaders decided to blame the devastation on them. I found so many things wrong with this assessment that I do not have time to list them all here. The main point I want to get across is that it is responses like these, those that are rooted in passing judgment and viewing ourselves as "better" than others, where we miss the big picture, and contribute to some people's notion that Christianity "is not for them."

As a result of these comments, the radio station K-LOVE received many responses from Christians throughout the country expressing how they felt about the comments. In light of these comments, they interviewed a pastor who reminded us of the big picture, and why the "blame them" approach hinders the our ability to show the love of Christ to others.


Feeling as though God was speaking to me through my reaction to the "blame them" response, I began thinking about the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, as visually depicted beautifully by Earnest Graham. By reflecting on this parable, I am reminded of how at times it is easy to condemn and judge others and how difficult it can be to simply love them. Regardless of this difficulty, however, Christ calls us to love God with all our heart AND love others as we love ourselves. The two are inseparable, and the more we focus on them as being inseparable, the more receptive people may be to the love of Christ.

What do you think? Take care and speekonit...

Man of God: A Primer

Peace and blessings,

Since copping Viktory's newest album, Son of the King (2009) last month, I have not been able to put it down. He's been one of my favorite rappers since I was introduced to him via his last album (Believe it Now) and that album was a banger as well. His newest album, however, is even better than the last. Click here
for a brief bio, and herefor a review of his latest album.

On the title track/album intro (titled "Son of the King"), Viktory lays out what it means to be a man of God. Getting this album at the end of '09 was a blessing for me, as it has reminded me of the importance of continually striving to be a man of God, and the struggles and triumphs inherent in such striving. The lyrics are below. Stay blessed, encouraged, and speekonit.


Everybody stressing me out/this life is demandin'/
This is what a man is/see if you can handle it/
Food shortage/they blame you for the famine/
Son wanna eat/he ask you for a sandwich/
No matter the draw/you are the canvas/
Right where you stand is/keys to the planet/
Peace for the frantic/
Rise young man rise/so you can bring peace to the panic/
Speak like a cannon/fire and you standin'/
Show'em what a man is/see if they can handle it/
World's going dark/only you can re-candle it/
You can rekindle it/no you no benefit/
How we get Jena 6/self is the nemesis/
Why we sit/and just repeat Genesis/
Everybody hatin'/God's world no immigrants/
Rules are in order/but unity is limitless/
Man with a mission/gets trapped in the tenements/
Locked by the sentiments/of high class membership/
Now he can't remember if/God called him to top/
God called him to stop/God called him or not/
Mind in a pretzel/the future is a letdown/
Generation now/we keep going the next mile/
Wit 'em all/we can't let'em fall/
Just keep doing ya thing/God's waiting on the sons of the King/
And that means you!

A New Year's (Re) Solution

Peace and blessings,

As I look back on the various things I was involved in last year (e.g., academically, personally, and professionally), I've decided that there's one particular issue that at the moment I'm really concerned with addressing: Shifting the conception of education amongst American youth, particularly underrepresented youth. Given that (1) there's a great deal of truth to the saying "the youth are the future" (as well as the present, but that's another issue) and (2) an adequate education is an integral part of improving the quality of life for oneself and for others, how today's adolescents perceive and experience education can have significant implications for the future.

Before proceeding, two clarifications are necessary. First, by "quality of life" I'm not referring to material things (e.g., a better car, house, or high-paying job), but about learning about oneself, others, and the world in a way that opens the door to finding your passion in life, your avenue to leave a mark on this earth. Second, I'm not claiming that everyone must (1) have superb academic performance in K-12 and/or (2) go to college, because I know that grades do not define a person, and that college may not be for everyone. What I am claiming is that in many ways, the idea that it's not cool to be smart or to get good grades needs to be turned on its head, unless many of our youth are going to continue to "fall through the cracks" and waste their potential to lead, inspire, and create a better future.

Anecdotal and scientific evidence suggests that during adolescence (roughly ages 13-19), three things generally become increasingly more important in their lives:

(1) Friendships and peer groups
(2) Describing themselves in terms of belief systems and worldviews
(3) Having a personal domain

(1) and (2) are pretty straightforward, and (3) pertains to the idea that compared to preadolescents (although there is some evidence that they too have a personal domain), adolescents tend to view more issues as falling within their own personal jurisdiction (i.e., it's their decision to make as opposed to their parents, or anyone else etc.).

I believe that in order to shift adolescents' general conception of education to where it's "cool to hold it down in school," each of these aspects of adolescents' lives need to play an important role. As for (1), adolescents' need to be encouraged to form study groups to get work done and study for tests, as well as to choose to associate with people who are going to better them as students. This doesn't mean that adolescents should only be friends with "nerds," but that adolescents are not being peer pressured into doing things that do not contribute to their growth as a student. For (2), we need to encourage adolescents to understand that education is about much more than a nice job, house, and car. Further, we need to continually let them know that grades or test performance do not define them; but if they develop a passion to learn for learning sake, they will do fine no matter what level of education they pursue. For (3), I think we need to validate adolescents' need for personal space, while at the same time helping them forge a personal connection to school and to what they learn.

By viewing our adolescents' as assets, validating their concerns, and walking beside them as they begin to solidify each of the three areas mentioned above, we can provide the proper encouragement adolescents need to fully take ownership of their education. Once this ownership is matched with a passion to make a meaningful contribution to this world, the possibilities are limitless....

What do you think are the major issues influence adolescents' conception of education? What do you think is/are the best solution(s)? Take care, God bless, and speekonit...

A Few Thoughtz: Da Truth, Tye Tribbett, and Ambassador (Pt. 2)

Peace and blessings,

I wanted to take a moment to address an issue I did not get to in my previous post. Knowing that I'm a huge hip-hop head, a friend of mine asked me if I was still going to listen to Da Truth and Ambassador's music in light of these incidents. Without giving it much thought, I immediately said yes, because I believe that they are sincere in their commitment to Christ, and unless I find out that they were "faking it" in their music, I will continue to listen to them. Upon further reflection on my answer, I realized that response was not reflective of an avid fan who's in denial, but was based on an assessment of their lyrics and the themes throughout their albums. While this assessment applies to both artists, it applies to Da Truth more than Ambassador, because I have three of the former's albums ("Moment of Truth," "The Faith," and "Open Book") and only one of the latter's ("The Thesis").

Since "Moment of Truth," there have been three themes that have consistently been woven into Da Truth's albums: (1) Pride, (2) Humility, and (3) Temptation from women For each theme, he talks extensively about how he personally struggles with each one, and how he has to work constantly to keep them in check. Aside from the fact that he's lyrically gifted, his openness regarding his struggles in these areas is one of the reasons why I really took to his music. I doubt it's a coincidence that I struggle with those themes as well! He was doing more than telling listeners about his difficulties. He was also speaking to issues that men of God face on a consistent basis.

The concept behind Ambassador's "The Thesis" was based on his actual thesis in seminary school. In his thesis, he argued for the validity and use of hip-hop as a way to minister to people about the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Therefore, his album was in many ways an audio version of his thesis. During one interlude, he addresses what he believes to be an issue within the general body of Christ (i.e., the church) that is potentially hindering the advancement of the gospel to certain people. He argues that the church should not demonize and/or be opposed to using hip-hop as a ministry tool, because hip-hop, like any other art form, can be "claimed" by God to reach those who may not know Him, or who may not be living in His will. Using the analogy of a baby taking a bath, he argues that although the baby was dirty, the only thing that is drained out is the bath water, which contains the dirt that was originally on the child. We get rid of the bath water, but not the reason for (i.e., the person in) the bath water. He contends that just as we do away with the child's dirt but not the child, we must be careful not to dismiss hip-hop as an art form and ministry tool just because a good deal of hip-hop music does not glorify God.

The same applies to the situation with these artists. It was this "don't throw the baby out with the bath water" idea that influenced my response to the situations involving Da Truth and Ambassador, and why I will continue to support their music and ministry. When things like this happen, it is important not to write off the person because of an act they committed. In other words, we should make sure that we "don't throw the person out with the sin."

As ministers of the gospel, I often wonder the extent to which these and other artists are being encouraged, supported, and lifted up in prayer. They dedicate a significant portion of their lives ministering to others during their music, and I think sometimes as fans we forget that they are human just like us, and are being "targeted" by the devil just like we are. As a result, we value them primarily in terms of what they can do for us through their music and ministry, forgetting that they too need to be ministered to and encouraged. As fans and those who support their ministry, let's remember that we're all in this together, and we all need each other to remain directed towards the things of God.

What do you think? Until next time, take care and speekonit...

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..

Happy New Year!

Peace and blessings,

I want to wish everyone a happy and blessed New Year, and I pray that God moves in your life in amazing ways in 2010!

The Rewards of Redemption

Redemption = The act of redeeming or the state of being redeemed; Deliverance upon payment of ransom; rescue


Peace and blessings,

One of the things I like about the variety of interests I have regarding hobbies/entertainment (e.g., comic books, video games, tv shows, movies, music) is pulling out "common threads" that link these various hobbies and forms of entertainment together. Furthermore, I'm interested in which types of stories (as told through various forms of media) are popular at different time periods, and what this media seems to be "saying" as a whole about the human condition. For instance, I've noticed that recently, stories that have to do with the essence of being human and the purpose of life seem to be real popular nowadays (e.g., movies like District 9 and Surrogates; television shows like FlashForward, the Sanctuary and V; comic book series' such as the Blackest Night). I plan on addressing some of these in future posts. This post focuses on a particular comic book character, and the current season of one of the best shows on television, Heroes.


"How often must the scoundrel prove himself a hero, before he believes it himself?"

- Professor Xavier talking to Gambit in the last episode of the X-Men animated series (1995)



Since I can remember, my favorite member of the X-Men has been Gambit(I've recently added Storm, Iceman and Nightcrawler to that list). As I look back on his life before, during, and after being an X-Man, I've found it interesting that while he's not necessarily your "gung-ho" hero type, he always seems to aim towards making the "hero-type" decision regardless of the situation he finds himself. And over the years, he's found himself in some crazy situations! Here's a quick run down of some of those situations, and the choices he made in those situations.


Situation #1: While a teen or young adult, Gambit's father introduced him to Mr. Sinister (formerly known as Nathaniel Essex). To allow Gambit to show off his skills (Gambit and his family were part of the Thieves' guilt, whose rivals were the Assassins' guild), Mr. Sinister gave Gambit his first assignment: to break into the Weapon X facility and retrieve Essex's research diary (he did not tell Gambit that he was Essex). Once inside the facility, he saw all of the inhumane experiments that were taking place. Once he found the diary he burned it, on the grounds that no human should be treated like these patients were being treating. Upon returning to Mr. Sinister, he told him that the mission was unsuccessful because he was unable to retreive the diary.


Situation #2: When the manifestation of his power resulted in the death of his former wife's (actual wife at the time) brother, he sought out the help of a mutant geneticist (Mr. Sinister) to "tone down" his powers. As a result, this Mr. Sinister asked to be apart of and recruit members for his group, known as the Mauraders. Although unaware, Gambit was actually recruiting a team whose first mission was to slaughter innocent mutants (Morlocks) living in then sewers. Once he found out, he fought the Marauders and tried to prevent the massacre, and was almost killed in the process. Although unable to prevent the massacre, he was able to save a little girl, Marrow, who would grow up and be a prominent Morlock leader.



Situation #3: Trying to capitalize off of the desperation of the remaining mutants after Scarlett Witch (Magneto's daughter) wiped out over 90% of the mutant population, Apocalypse presented himself as the "mutant savior," ensuring the humans' survival and future triumph. In an interesting move, Gambit volunteers to become one of Apocalypse's horseman, meaning that his powers would be augmented and he would be more powerful. Although he may have agreed with some aspects of Apocalypse's perspective, Gambit warned apocalypse that if he is really trying to harm mutants as opposed to help them, then he would commit himself to stopping apocalypse. After Apocalypse was defeated and Gambit realized the error of his ways, he sought the help of Mr. Sinister to "reverse" what apocalypse had done to him.

Situation #4: Once Mr. Sinister "fixed" him again, Gambit agreed to rejoin the Mauraders, and aid them in finding the "messiah baby" before everyone else (including the X-Men) did. However, Gambit's reason for joining the Mauraders and find the baby was to save Rogue, the love of his life, who was currently dying. Gambit heard of a prophecy that said that this baby would save Rogue's life. The fact that Gambit's situation did not define him (i.e., temporarily running with the Mauraders did not make him a villian) was apparent during his frequent run-ins with the X-men:

(1) When Gambit and the Mauraders try to retrieve Destiny's diaries (Destiny was a mutant could see parts of the future, and her diaries were believed to contain vital information for the future of mutants) from Iceman and Cannonball, Gambit "accidentally" destroyed the diaries before the Mauraders could retrieve them.

(2) When Gambit and Sunfire were ordered by Mr. Sinister to "take out" Cable so he would ruin Sinister's plan for the coming messiah baby, Gambit mentioned a phrase to him during their battle in the form of a hint as to what's to come. Perplexed by the phrase, and realizing that Gambit may have been trying to tip him off to something, Cable researched the phrase on the computer, eventually enabling him to be the first to gain possession of the messiah baby once she was born.

(3) After the X-Men got word of the messiah baby's birth and confronted the Mauraders hoping to find her, Gambit did not join the Mauraders during the fight. In fact, Gambit went to hide, so he would not have to fight the X-Men.

Situation #5: The result of multiple groups fighting each other to the death in order to gain access to the messiah baby was Professor Xavier (founder of the X-Men) being shot in the head. After surviving and going into hiding, Gambit came to his aid to protect him. Interestingly enough, Professor Xavier started his own road to redemption, making amends with mutants he felt that he had wrong in the past. Gambit traveled much of this road alongside him.


As these situations illustrate, Gambit always seems to do things to "make up" for some of the choices he's made. Furthermore, his directionality points towards being a hero, although at times he may not believe he is himself. This idea of redemption seems to be common to the human experience. We often have a need to "make up" for some of the wrong things we felt we've done. Either through changing for the better, performing good acts, or through encouraging others to make better choices than we've made. I guess it makes sense that the title of Gambit's origin story was "Random Acts of Redemption."

4 Years and Counting: God is Good!

Peace and blessings,

Today marks the 4 year anniversary of Speeklife, and I wanted to thank everyone who has read and/or commented on the blog, and those who currently follow the blog. Thanks for the support!