I just read a tweet post from Pastor Jamal Bryant (Baltimore, MD) that was retweeted by someone in my Twitter stream. He is encouraging listeners/followers to purchase his sermon CD and help it become the first sermon CD to hit the Billboard charts.
While I was sure I wouldn’t be buying the CD, the milestone was interesting and I clicked the link to see what the sermon was about. The title was immediately unsettling: I Hope You Fail
The explanation goes on to say: “Whenever you find someone who is a great success, you will have found someone who has had many failures. Failure is the price tag for success. The only people who really learn how to fight at something are those people who have failed at something.” From Jamal Bryant’s site
Ok so I “get” where he’s coming from but I think this is an irresponsible use of words. Failure and adversity are integral parts of success…that is true. I’ve been listening to Robert Kiyosaki a lot lately and he says that “9 out of every 10 businesses fail”. He goes on to say that the key is not to focus on the 9 failures but rather focus on the fact that out of 10 tries 1 of your businesses/ideas will make it and become successful. The difference here is to focus on the positive not the negative.
Our words are very, very, very powerful. Even in this context, saying “I hope you fail” is a very negative affirmation. When we speak things into the universe especially when we speak “hopes”, we are speaking a prayer. Our words have life and our words have power. Hoping any negative gives life to the negative. Hoping any positive gives life to the positive.
“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” (3 John 1:2, KJV)
I Hope You Win
I Hope You Prosper
I Hope You Succeed
1 month ago
This weekend I watched the much talked about Tonex interview with Lexi.
If you haven’t seen it, here are the YouTube links:
Tonex/Lexi Interview Part One
Tonex/Lexi Interview Part Two
Tonex/Lexi Interview Part Three
Needless to say the Church and many Christians are up in arms and have damned him to hell. Having talked about, written about, debated about and studied Homosexuality in the context of the Black Church, I knew I had to say something about this interview.
First let me say that I support Tonex 100% and I am so proud of his openness and honesty. This interview alone has and will liberate countless individuals who are struggling to make sense of who they are, struggling to reconcile their love for God and their desire to live an authentic spiritual life without feeling “less than”.
It will be interesting to see where this all leads him. It seems that he has in a sense graduated from Christianity as he knew it but yet is still trying to hold on or even cater to that point of view (ie covenant vs. marriage). Traditional Christians will not embrace him or his point of view unless he chooses to see himself as a “sinner” in need of “deliverance”. Based on this interview, he has moved far from that. There is a large body of writing and Christian thought on the subject that I hope will lead him to clarity and wholeness.
One person I have looked up to my entire life is Dr. James Forbes Jr., Pastor Emeritus of Riverside Church in NYC. I love his Introduction to this text “Homosexuality and Christian Faith”.
When love becomes the focus of all of our actions it’s amazing what “beliefs” we can no longer carry.
2 months ago
