March 8, Lent 2A (John 3:1–17)
Like Nicodemus, Kanye shows that the Spirit blows where it chooses.
On his gospel album Jesus Is King, Kanye West offers a prayer: “Clean us like the rain in spring / Take the chlorine out of our conversation . . . / We are water / Pure as water / Like a newborn daughter.” This song about conversation, authenticity, new birth, and water reminds me of Nicodemus talking with Jesus in John 3:1–17.
Prior to 2019, I would not have imagined putting Kanye West and Nicodemus in the same sentence. Nicodemus is a religious leader from 2,000 years ago. West is one of the top-selling artists of all time and is married to reality TV star Kim Kardashian. He has cultivated a controversial reputation: being chummy with President Trump, denying slavery, calling himself “Yeesus.”
Then, on a narcissistic road to Damascus, West experienced a dramatic conversion. His decision to transform a successful music career into a ministry surprised almost everyone. It definitely reflected Jesus’ observation that the Spirit blows where the Spirit wants. With the release of Jesus Is King, West chose to create only gospel music, promoted through his Sunday Service concerts. The album opens proclaiming his intention that “every hour, every minute, every second,” he’ll “sing till the power of the Lord comes down.” It closes with his profession of faith that “every knee shall bow, every tongue confess, that Jesus is Lord.”
