Love like Kanye loves Kanye
What Kanye West's revival turned meltdown reveals about faith and fragility...
I love seeing celebrities struggle with their faith.
That sounds worse than it is. What I mean is I love to see other people—particularly those I look up to—doubting, wondering, failing, trying, failing again, and pressing on. It gives me hope. It reminds me that I'm not the only one.
That's why following Kanye West's gospel revival turned presidential meltdown has been weirdly encouraging to me. He's moving toward God as a fantastical failure. He's like a toddler who just learned to walk suddenly trying to run the 400m hurdles because he heard his dad is at the finish line. It's a disaster, but it's also kind of relatable.
See, I don't want my faith to be described that way. I want it to be more buttoned-up. I want F.A.I.T.H. to be the acronym that my five-point sermon of a life spells out. But somehow, I don't think I'm going to pull that off.
Because while I want my faith to be a jog around the bases after a blast over center field, I think I'm living more of an inside the park home run with a slide into second, an overthrown ball, a pickle after third, a second throwing error, and a stumble into home (God's grace is the throwing errors in this metaphor).
And in that spirit, this volume of the paper is dedicated to those who are getting their uniform dirty. While I've chosen a sports metaphor, the people I've looked at are all musicians.
Join Kanye West, Jon Bellion, and Chance the Rapper as we wonder, doubt, and question. Check out two of my published short stories. Read some political book reviews (maybe answer the survey in the book reviews section?). And don't forget the beverage of the month at the bottom—it has as many flaws as it does grams of sugar.
Thanks for reading this far.
- jd
(Note: If you enjoy this email, please consider forwarding it to someone who might also enjoy it. If you were forwarded this email, you can sign up to receive it on the first Friday of every month.)
Short Stories
In the lobby of the Bay Gardens Hotel, they served complimentary coffee. The carpet in the lobby was plush and felt nice on bare feet. I noticed this mark of luxury right before I had the sudden and inexplicable impulse to dump one of these free cups of coffee onto a stranger’s head. The carpet was also red…
It happened faster than we thought it would. I mean, I guess that’s how these things work. You hear the weatherman talking about how bad the forecast looks, you pack a bag just in case, but...I don’t know…
Essays
Recognizing someone’s flaws isn’t a sin—it’s an acknowledgment of similarity. In Kanye’s failures, I see myself. I see my desire to be noticed, to be right, to be loved.
Glimpses of the Trinity in the Music of Jon Bellion
To say that Jon Bellion has outlined a doctrine of the trinity across his music is to misrepresent the work that he has done. But instead of transposing a specific theological construct onto his music, we can look at how he creates and what he creates in order to see the triune God behind it all.
The Doodles
Welcome to the kitchen. These scribbles and scratches are the ingredients, and what you can find on the website, is the finished meal. Be warned: the behind the scenes is never beautiful.
To fear is to face the unknown.
To love is to know that you are known.
Fear is a tight chest and clenched fists.
Love is an easy exhale and open arms.
Fear wonders whose house this is and what’s behind that door.
Love knows the key is under the cactus and that’s the pantry.
Fear starts in the head and goes to the heart.
Love starts in the heart and goes to the head.
Fear is like standing on the edge of a cliff.
Love is like standing on the edge of a cliff.
Fear pins your feet to the ground.
Love holds your hand and tells you to jump.
Book Reviews
UNOFFICIAL SURVEY ALERT: Would you read a collection of essays about politics in America, covering some of the books you see here, as well as some of the things I've observed out there (in the wild), written by me, for anyone preparing to vote in the coming months?
If yes, reply to this email, "Write that thang." If no, reply "It's not you, it's me." If maybe, reply ";)" This survey is neither scientific nor anonymous. Thank you.
The Gatekeepers by Chris Whipple
This book put me in Leo McGarry’s shoes and took me for a sprint around the Oval Office that I was in no way prepared for. I had no clue how important the Chief of Staff was to the President. Turns out, these are the people defining history. Read the full review.
When Character Was King by Peggy Noonan
In this book, you learn about the life of Ronald Reagan, sure. But more importantly, you come into contact with the man he was, with the values that mattered to him, and with the principles upon which he built his life and career. Read the full review.
Yes We (Still) Can by Dan Pfeiffer
If you can imagine someone wistfully drinking coffee while resting their chin in their hand, middle finger fully extended in front of their nose, then you’re halfway through this book. Read the full review.
Beverage of the Month
Gatorade is the Lunchable of drinks. Take that as you will, but I can think of no higher compliment. It's the thing you were denied as a child that you can now have in abundance as an adult. Plus, while my mother was anti-sugary-sports drinks, I can now bring home a Gatorade while both smugly and maturely pointing out that "naa-naaa-na-na-naa, this has no sugar," in the mocking voice that she loves oh so much, and I can enjoy it while sitting in timeout. But let's face it, is there anything more adult-like than reading the nutrition label in order to prove a point?
Lemony, limey, and the jolt of electrolytes you need when reading the ever thirst-inducing novel, Dune by Frank Herbert, or any other book set in the desert.
***
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