By Lawrence Ware, THE ROOT
The Clark Sisters and Fred Hammond are headed to the Las Vegas Strip as part of a new gospel music residency. And reading the coverage, you’d be forgiven if you thought ‘Da Lawd’ Jesus Christ Himself had signed on the dotted line to make it happen. Nearly every story calls the residency “historic” or a “milestone,” as though the Holy Spirit had won something by landing in a casino district built to separate tourists from their money.
Quick question. Am I the only person who sees this as mad problematic?
Somewhere between the slot machines and the luxury shopping, we’re supposed to believe this is a victory for the Church. That’s odd, considering the founder of Christianity, the man whose teachings we’re all supposed to follow, spent much of His time on earth warning people about confusing God with money.
Let me make it plain. This residency is only the latest example of how Christianity in general, and the Black Church in particular, have twisted the Gospel.
Somewhere between the slot machines and the luxury shopping, we’re supposed to believe this is a victory for the Church. That’s odd, considering the founder of Christianity, the man whose teachings we’re all supposed to follow, spent much of His time on earth warning people about confusing God with money.
Let me make it plain. This residency is only the latest example of how Christianity in general, and the Black Church in particular, have twisted the Gospel.
If there was one thing Jesus made crystal clear, it was that faith wasn’t supposed to be a hustle. The only time Jesus went upside somebody’s head was when He drove money changers out of the Temple because they were treating people’s faith like a revenue stream. (And yes, I also have smoke for people who preach the prosperity gospel.)
His disdain for mixing faith and commerce wasn’t some footnote in His ministry. It was a central part of what He preached. Which is why it’s strange to watch Christians celebrate another moment where faith is applauded not for changing lives, but for finding a profitable new stage.
Today, you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference between Christianity and Cash Money Records. Folks who say they follow Jesus have started measuring success the same way corporations do: bigger audiences, bigger buildings, and bigger profits. We’ve stopped asking whether something looks like Jesus and started doing whatever will put butts in pews.
That’s why a Las Vegas residency feels like a victory. Christians have drunk the world’s Kool-Aid and started believing that if the market validates it, God must have too.
Call me old-fashioned, but I thought the goal of gospel music was to point people to Christ. Not prove it could compete with Cirque du Soleil.
I’m sure The Clark Sisters and Fred Hammond will sound incredible. I’m also confident they’ll put on an amazing show. That’s not the issue. My problem is that church folks have become so captivated by capitalistic success that we can’t tell the difference between ministry and marketing.
Jesus never promised His followers a residency on the Strip. He told them to take up a cross and follow him. We decided a marquee was close enough.