Revolutionary Intent

Making a move to Word Press

2008-07-11T18:41:00.002-04:00

Come see the new blog at Revolutionary Intent @ wordpress

Culture Shock: Bringing Holiness to the Culture

2008-06-28T17:44:00.000-04:00

In a time, where everyone has a thought and their two cents to chime in with, I find that the hip hop culture is in a constant state of culture shock. Anthropologist Rachel Irwin defines culture shock, “as the anxiety and emotional disturbance experienced by people when two sets of realities and conceptualizations meet." Walter M. Miller in his writings, A Canticle for Liebowitz makes a description of culture in the these words:"For Man was a culture-bearer as well as a soul-bearer, but his cultures were not immortal and they could die with a race or an age, and then human reflections of meaning and human portrayals of truth receded, and truth and meaning resided, unseen, only in the objective logos of Nature and the ineffable Logos of God. Truth could be crucified; but soon, perhaps, a resurrection." The resurrection that I perceive him to be talking about is Jesus.

When we inject the hip hop culture with the stimulus of the Jesus what an effect it has on the culture. We start to see the "chickens coming home to roost". Many can attest that they love Christ but have to viable fruit displayed in their lifestyle. I had the opportunity to watch Hip Hop vs. America the other night on television. They had a panel of great brothers and sisters from different walks of life. The one that stood out the most in my mind was David Banner. David Banner is a southern brother from Mississippi. He is a wealthy entertainer but he is also has a Masters degree from University of Maryland. So we are not talking about a dumb brother here. He talks passionately about his love for the black people and what he did it Louisiana when Katrina came through and wrecked the city. He was there helping which is and was a noble thing. But the problem came for me when he tried to rationalize his lyrics in his song. This statement was taken from an excerpt from a Vibe Magazine interview;"Yeah because when you look at it, you have so many other people doing the same type of music. They only attack Nelly because he’s at the level that he is. My thing is its entertainment. An actor can get up and act and do whatever he wants to do. Arnold Schwarzenegger perfect example. He can kill kids, he can blow up half of the United States and become governor of California. But we speak about the things we actually see every day in our lives and we’re crucified for it. The thing is, nobody beat anybody to be in that video. The women enjoyed themselves, the same way the men enjoyed themselves and they got paid. And if you really want to talk about ethics as far as women are concerned, you can look at football games. Half naked women on the sidelines, don’t have nothing to do with the boys on the field playing football. You see it everyday; it’s a bigger problem. But young black males are the easiest scapegoat for America to crucify. If Spellman is truly concerned about women, they have a bigger target to attack. But that’s not what people really want to do. They want to attack safe targets, they want to attack their own people and that’s sickening to me."

He expressed the same words on the BET show like what he was saying was correct. He justifies himself by saying that he put his career on the line by writing a song with the lyrics,"
God I know that we pimp
God I know that we wrong
God I know why she talk about Moet all of my songs
I know these kids are listening
I know I'm here for a mission
But it's so hard to get 'em wit 22 rims all glisten
taken from the song Cadillac on 22"s

This is a culture shock to the hip hop culture. We have gotten in our mind that we can divorce our walk from our talk. The bible is very intentional when it says, "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh."(Luke 6:45) What we have is a postmodern culture that compartmentalizes holiness for economical gain. It is alright to be good and accountable when I can see payment for it. But if I have to display holiness because it is a God govern attribute, you might as well trash that idea. (peep out Da Truth's song Click: No Regrets on the album Open Book)

In our culture if it ain't paying it ain’t staying. That mentality is killing our youth as well as the older generation. The quest for the mighty dollar has left us aimlessly wandering through the field of false dreams. These dreams are leading us down the road of debauchery and with no end in sight. We must transcend into a Holy Culture that places God at the forefront of our lives.

Just my thoughts

The Collective Unconscious: 91 Shots or a Hurricane

2008-05-08T16:07:00.000-04:00

The collective unconsciousness of society sometimes leaves me in a state of bewilderment. As I go through my day, I do my best to display myself as a viable part of this society that we refer to as America. I obey the laws of the land and help in preserving what mere part of unity that we have left to preserve. The major difference that I have from that of the collective unconscious is that I look through the eyes of a young black male.

I see the world through the eyes of one who has been afforded the opportunity to connect with the collective unconscious but prefers to mingle and challenged the other side of the spectrum, the dispersed epigones. Understand the dispersed epigones are products of their environments that are largely influenced by the collective unconscious. The collective unconscious always makes decisions that will benefit themselves but still has an adverse effect on the dispersed epigone. They profess to have a love and concern for the dispersed epigone but when it comes time to ante up there true colors come out.

The collective unconscious would have you to believe that the majority of young black males are criminal minded, baggy pants wearing only good for jail, non-citizens who live in America. So the interaction that they have with the young black males becomes extension of this dysfunctional relationship. They’re perspective becomes myopic and clings to the halo effect which makes judgments on all because of the perception of one.

What does this all mean? It means that Harold Cruse was right when he wrote in 1967, The Crisis of the Negro Intellectual, that whoever controls mass media controls America. In the big scheme of things, Obama’s 20 or more years of relationship with Dr. Wright has ended because of media hype and miscues. The jaded nightly news has softly been killing the young blacks males by painting targets on our backs for police to shoot by their one sided presentation of the news. I remember reading one time where Dr. Bill Cosby once said, “That if a Martian came to America and looked at the news without any other source of information he would try to kill the black men.”

You can hate Dr. Wright or love him but show me in his speeches where what he was saying was so wrong. It was harsh and sometimes unfair but where was it wrong. For those who differ with him read or listen to the whole speech. There is a major difference between context and sound bite. The collective unconscious has been behind the scenes controlling the entire process and the dispersed epigone reaps the benefit of their selfishness.

If it wasn’t for the fact that Christ died on the cross and became the atonement, I would right now be in the process of getting my weaponry up for city wide chaos. My peace and protection stems on his love and assurance. But for those that do not have that assurance they have to asked themselves do you want 91 shots(shots fired at Amadou Diallo and Sean Bell on two separate accusation by police when they had no guns) or to be caught in a Hurricane in a major city(people of Louisiana). The choice is yours but understand this one thing; the collective unconsciouses are doing their best to find a way to impoverish, miseducate, steal your land, kill or enslave you.

Rest in Peace to Diallo, Bell and those who perished in New Orleans

Just my thoughts

Standing under the lamp post....while the streets watch

2008-01-31T00:50:00.000-05:00

"Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:16

As the body of Christ we are called to be the light of the world. We are called to bring light to the darkness, to bring clarity to chaos. All this is done through the sovereign grace of God. It is amazing how soon and quick we forget just that when trouble or change comes our way. We fall pray to the misguided flesh and that puts us in a place where we now have to apologize for our moment dumbness.

What I find is that we are so consumed with being Christians the we forget to be disciples. Though I do not agree with his theology, I remember Bishop TD Jakes making a statement that said,"we are busy doing the Lord's work that we do not spend time with the Lord of the work." We do not get plugged back in to the source that we need that will bring us to place of true humility as we re-present Christ on Earth.

We must undersatnd that all our actions are being filmed live by the opposition. I remember Jay Z had a song out called The Street's are Watching where he said,"When the, streets is watching, blocks keep clocking /Waiting for you to break, make your first mistake ." As soon as we make a mistake here comes the camera crew to shout out your name before men that you are a heretic or hypocrit. Now if you are out there bugging, there is no excuse but I am not talking about things that are truly outlandish.

My point is that we have to understand that under a lamp post in the dark, people can see us clearly is the same way that the world views us in our walk when we error. We must be humble enough to admit when we are wrong and correct ourselves. we must now that we are the light of the world and carry ourselves to reflect that light.

As I write this I ponder on how someone just brought this to my attention in such a major way.Peace Nasir

Just my thoughts

to be sound with flavor...........

2008-01-28T07:06:00.000-05:00

I awoke this morning with the same question that I went to sleep with last night. Where do I find a place of worship that is sound but also understands the dichotomy of what it is to be black and reformed. I had the opportunity this morning to read a blog called, "So you want to be a diverse church?", this morning. Brother Woods, sounded off better than I could have of trying to be sound but also appealing to the flavor that he comes to the table with.

Being black in America is one thing but be to black in America as well as totally depended on the Sovereignty of God puts you in a whole another class. It disenfranchises you from most of the pseudo-christian culture. Where it is cool just to go to church with no relevant change taking place in you life. As I woke up yesterday, I began to really to get disheartened by the fact that there were no churches in my city that really preached Christ centered messages to the black community.

Along with my wife, we eventually ended up going to a predominately white church. The service was outstanding. We arrived late but the word that I got in that 30 minutes was more food than I had received at a service in South Carolina since we moved back here. I was always dismayed from going to this church because this church was one of the biggest churches in the city if not the biggest. But I was challenged and informed but yet I felt indifferent.

I grew up in an holiness church then starting preaching in a baptist church , ordained by a missionary church and I attend a Lutheran Seminary. With that being said I have seen a lot of things but this church though not a reformed church preaches a reformed doctrine as much as I could tell. As we left I asked my wife, "Why do we seek to entertain in the black churches instead of informing and teaching". She could not answer and I went back to eat more carpet in prayer. Once again I stood at the door of my question," how do you be sound with flavor". But I am still encouraged by the words of C.H. Spurgeon," believing scholarship joined with earnest spirituality, the one springing from the other as fruit from the root. The need is biblical doctrine, so understood and felt, that it sets men on fire.”

Just my thoughts

The Reality of Serving

2008-01-17T17:34:00.000-05:00

Though I have a great admiration for the Apostle Paul' s writing, I look and say to myself that I do not want to be him. He was an amazing dude that had insight and wisdom, far beyond anything that I can imagine in myself at this moment in my life. But as I read his story through the different letters he wrote I am rocked off the fact that he never spoke about quitting. He would say "I have fought the good fight" (2 Tim. 4:7)or "for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung".( Phil. 3:8).

These are the words that Paul spoke about the things that he endured as he trekked through his life with God. It is amazing to me that Paul speaks with so much confidence in God when so many bad things are rocking his world. He is beaten, almost killed and many other things but he continues to be consumed by the majesty of the Lord. He looks at it as if it is a privilege to suffer for Christ. What a brand to have associated with you?

This serves as a reminder that walking with the Lord will cause you at times to be in a stage of suffering every once an a while. The fact of the matter is that God gets the glory out of the situation and you reap the benefits. This is a easier said than done task but it holds true. As the old mothers in the baptist church used to say" even when you can't trace him you have to trust him." Wow, what wisdom is found it that statement.

I am forever rocked off the word of God.

Just my thoughts

Can I Quit?

2007-12-04T23:45:00.000-05:00

As I sit and write this blog, I find my self wondering about quitting everything that is going on in my life. Sometimes life can deal you a bad hand and you just have to play the cards you are dealt. Regardless of all the situations that may go on in you life, you have to keep it moving. As I do some introspection, I really do not have it that bad. I have a house, wife , children, job and plenty other things to go along with those. But the catch is these are some of the very things I want to quit doing sometime.

I know this may not be the most diplomatic way of saying things but I am pass diplomacy. it appears that you work so hard to become better for you and your family but you do move at all. That makes you want to quit. You try to show forth the necessary love to your family but that blows up in your face. You work hard at your place of employment and the next thing you know they are trying to fire you. If not careful all these things can leave a root of bitterness in your heart. This is about the point when you have to look at the Sovereignty of God and rest in that comfort. Though I do not understand everything that is happening I have to believe and know in my heart that it working out for my good. There has to be a reassurance that God is really in control of everything that is happening to me.

As I write I rehearse Romans 8:28 over and over in my mind. That scripture has become my moniker of sorts for progress. I am bugging out but God's massive grace has me chilling. So I make a choice to stay there in the midst of all my issues and misunderstanding because he is sovereign.

Just my thoughts

The Misguided Sheep Factor

2007-11-08T09:19:00.000-05:00

As the newspaper and television articles have surfaced, we are starting to see the wool pulled off some of the flaws in some of the mega ministries. Whether it is for financial misappropriation, divorce, adultery or just misconduct it is starting to become prevalent. Yes, I understand that these people are regular dudes but there has to be a higher level of accountability in their lives as well. You can not preach to me about having a successful marriage and then yours falls apart. Where is the truth in that teaching? Your information or teaching was good enough for me to hear but had no practical application for you own marriage. You teach on faithfully tithing but yet you live a lifestyle that is extremely lavish.

Come on people where does the line stop. Do I believe that pastor will have problems and issues, yes I do. Do I think that they make mistakes, yes I do. But my problem is not in the mistakes. It is in the fact that you did not take the same information you preached and applied into to your life. That signifies or raises a flag that you were out for gain. Some may disagree but there is no other answer as I can see. Why did you tell me that God gave you this inspired message but it has no validity in your own life. That is backwards. In 2 timothy 2 verse 6 Paul writes, " The husbandman that labors must be first partakers of the fruits." Simply put the same way that the farmer must be the first to try his crop when harvested so must you be the first to try every word that you preach or that is preached. If you have a solution to a problem that does not work for you why would you give it to others.

That is what I get out of the situations that I am seeing on the news and different programs. We have host of televangelist getting rocked right now for their walk not lining up with there talk. You have conferences and messages on something that you not perfected in you own life, The funny thing about all this is that the misguided sheep that sit under this pastors/shepherds once brought into the light then try to defend them with nonsense that is not even scriptural. What a waste. There is malicious intent here and some refuse to grab a hold to that fact. Yes, we still need to pray for them but we also need to call a spade a spade. These misguides sheep no matter how wrong their pastors is they still find a way to make it appear that it was the devil or some other device that made them do it. When the word is emphatic and intentional when it says, "that man is drawn away of his own lust and enticed." James 1:14

These are my thoughts

What is Revolutinary Intent?

2007-11-04T08:11:00.000-05:00

The Revolutionary Intent is personal, theological reflection of how things are transcending throughout our society. It serves as a two fold outlet for expression and introduction as it relates to the topics presented. It is expressing as it relates, because it will be my thoughts that are laced with the interwoven fabric of the faith that is integrated into everyday walk of life. It is on introducing because it will shed some light on the misguided world of hip hop through the eyes of one of its own.
The reason for the moniker of Revolutionary Intent is based on the need to agents of change without apology. The mindsets is intentionally presented as a example of what is needed to bring about the desired change to any community. With every generation, there are norms that will follow with the time or the subculture that is established. Though this subculture may have it's problems we must assume that it is still prevalent in the lives of those whom are indoctrinated into it.
The challenge is to identify the problems that may exist ,as well as the benefits of having such a group connected with your community. The Revolutionary Intent stands as a guidepost to that macrocosm that mixes faith, hip hop, theology and with an activist mindset. The stance is to be as modern day Apostle Paul as he chopped it up with the brothers at Mars Hill.