Wake up Call: Hip Hop and the Black Church

I was blessed with the opportunity to write a book review for the Howard Journal of Communication on the book Wake Up: Hip Hop Christianity and the Black Church by Cheryl A. Kirk-Duggan and Marlon Hall.  The Hip Hop community and the Black Church communities are often speaking different languages.  Whether we admit it or not, we've become ok with this arrangement.

How that works out is that this generation sees the church as uncaring and irrelevant and the church sees the hip hop generation as ungrateful and irresponsible.  I'm grateful for this valiant attempt at bridging these gaps.  You can read the preview of my review below and access the full copy online.  

Lord, please help us to be 

your eyes, ears, and heart in this world.  

Help us to see what you see, 

hear what you hear, 

and feel what you feel.  

When we see sagging pants, 

let us see Christ's drooping robe.  

When we hear thumping beats, 

let us hear lamentations and jubilee.  

When we witness pain, 

let us feel 

a call to action

and not to judgment.

Nodding,
j.a.g.