While the rest of the country has been practicing social distancing for the last month to avoid the spread of COVID-19, one woman in Ohio tells reporters that she isn’t changing her plans or staying because she can’t get sick–due to being a Christian.
On Sunday (Apr 5), during an investigative piece on the virus, a churchgoer in Ohio told CNN that she is attending services during the coronavirus pandemic because she is “covered in Jesus’ blood” and can’t be infected.
“I wouldn’t be anywhere else,” the woman told CNN’s Gary Tuchman from her car as she was leaving church services.
“Aren’t you worried you could impact other people if you get sick inside?” the CNN reporter asked.
“No, I’m covered in Jesus’ blood,” the woman replied. “I’m covered in Jesus’ blood!”
When the reporter asked the insensible woman about the possibility of infecting others that don’t attend her church, the woman replied that she should be the one afraid.
“I go to the grocery store every day!” the woman exclaimed. “I’m in Walmart, Home Depot. Look at those people. They could get me sick!”
“But they’re not because I’m covered in his blood,” she added before driving off.
Ohio isn’t the only state that has continued to allow residents to continue to gather in large crowds in religious spaces, Florida also made headlines after a megachurch pastor was arrested after holding service and announcing that he also intended to continue church services despite government officials warning against the gathering of large groups. American Scientist Dr. Ho attributes the defiance to most religious groups being used to being reactive versus proactive.
“I think that the problem is that in many of the regions in the US are not proactive,” Dr. Ho said. “They are only reactive when problems appear. Their attitude is that this is someone else’s problem, yet the virus spares no one.”
American scientist Dr. David Ho: "I think that the problem is that in many of the regions in the US are not proactive. They are only reactive when problems appear. Their attitude is that this is someone else's problem, yet the virus spares no one." pic.twitter.com/5SOynBpvjw
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has issued a statement that gatherings of people 500 or more are not to congregate. Thus for the State of New York, sporting events, concerts, Broadway shows, restaurants, schools and so many other large meetings are being prohibited.
That also means churches.
Christian churches will not be “passing the Peace of Christ,” but making adjustments as they try to figure out how to deal with Sunday Service and the COVID-19.
Concerns are arises as Christians have to determine what they will do about corporate prayers, hugging each other, share the sacred meal that requires many to exchange the bread and wine of Eucharist. While participating in any of this, one might contract the coronavirus from a member that might not know that they have it.
Black Pastors…please stop asking folk to hold hands and touch your neighbor over the next few months! I rebuke the pass of the Coronavirus lol!!
New York is not the only place folk are concerned about their religious institutions.
As NPR has reports, Christian churches, in various denominations are shifting how they do communion.
The Episcopal Dioceses of Los Angeles asked their congregations to stop sipping from the communal communion cup. Roman Catholics and other denominations that practice similarly are also proposing to forego this aspect of these sacraments.
On the contrary, The Greek Orthodox Church released a statement saying that they will (based on their holy doctrine) continue. They do not believe that “the coronavirus can be transmitted via communion wine or wafer.”
An alternative to gathering for worship is for churches to host online services. That is most certainly going to have some pastors up in arms and could possibly cause financial hardships for churches that live Sunday to Sunday based on congregational offerings and tithes.
Christian churches are not the only religious institutions that are being affected.
This goes for Jewish synagogues who are currently entering into the Purim holiday and also in Islamic Masjids that are incredibly intimate in the way that their practice worship.
Saudis already banned pilgrimage to Mecca and Catholics have already banned use of Holy Water in their Churches in Italy. Seems all eyes are on science for a solution to Corona Virus, not on god.
People slowly realizing that real problems can’t be solved by imaginary solutions.
Check out what Twitter is saying about this. Some are looking at how seriously religious bodies are taking the pandemic, others make light of something that could definitely shift how folk worship. Some even think that there is a conspiracy connected to the Black church and the elections. Where does your House of Worship fall?
Black churches = home of the Democratic base. Black churches ALSO = potential hotspot for the coronavirus. Think about it—folks over the age of 60 most likely with chronic health conditions congregating in one spot#COVID19
I want one of those white pastors to have a revelation saying that the coronavirus pandemic will end when the west pays reparations to brown and black folks for colonization, genocides and slavery, then we see how it goes.
The Reverend Dr. Charles E. Goodman, Jr. serves as the Senior Pastor/Teacher of The Historic Tabernacle Baptist Church of Augusta, GA. but don’t get it twisted this Gen X Hip-Hop leaning preacher knows exactly what is cracking in these streets. Voted Gospel Todayas one of “America’s Most Loved Pastors” and consistently popping owt on the Outreach Magazine‘s top “Youngest Mega-Church Pastors” list, this accomplished author of four books (all that concentrate on Christian development for the church including the millennial truth-seeker) breaks down in very candid terms the impact of Juice WRLD’s death… offering reason and hope for his fans and the bereaved rap world.
Are you familiar with Juice WRLD’s music and the tragic end of his life?
Yes. Juice WRLD as an artist represents a new school of Hip-Hop that is somewhat hybrid with Emo culture. Juice WRLD represents an artist who has intellectually and socially monetized themselves through personal transparency and social media. I think it is a reoccurring issue that we see happening more and more in Hip-Hop. At some level, people become more acquainted with the music and the personality posthumously due to the connectivity of social media.
I personally became familiar with Juice through his song “Lucid Dreams.”
After his passing, a friend of mine recalled reading a wonderful reflection on his life and music in the New Yorker entitled “The Beautiful Vulnerability of Juice WRLD.” My friend remarked that in this meditation, the author sought to give voice to the vast range of complexities captured in the life of one young and gifted artist. One of the most moving lines—and there were many—was when she noted that the world often speaks of Black boys and their anger… but rarely on their sadness; Juice forced us to see that.
As an artist, Juice WRLD poured out his anxiety and fears with candor as he articulated his heart out in his lyrics. He rapped about things that people normally numb themselves to and try to avoid. Like pills, lean, or alcohol, “the romances that absorbed him were just another way to disappear, another way to feel something else.” His sincerity and authenticity spoke deeply to a generation who have been raised to believe that vulnerability was the next thing to death and that transparency was not bravery but cowardice.
The artist talks about the struggles that he had with addiction often, however he never wanted to stop and believed his recreational use of it was fine. What is the message you have for his fans?
If I was to sit down with one of his fans—many of whom are in our homes, our schools and definitely in our churches—I think the first thing I would say is that it’s okay to cry and express emotions.
Though that sounds paradoxical as it relates to giving practical advice for moving on, it is the place that I would start. Lament is helpful in the process of grief. Too often we have moved too quickly passed the pain. In any situation of trauma, which many addictions tell the deeper story of trauma, there is the presence of some area where healing is not taking place. There is a story of alienation and disenfranchisement, whether it be personal, social, religious, etc., that is searching for a place to disappear and become invisible.
Being able to cry is first and foremost an invitation to feel and release. Too many young people are growing up conditioned not to feeling or heal. To cry is to allow oneself the freedom of feeling that does not lean toward triumph or despair, answered questions or misguided hopes, but simply to be in the moment and allow yourself to tell the truth of what has happened, is happening and what can happen.
I would also say, drug use, on the other hand, is dangerous and self-medicating as a coping mechanism can have deadly results. Talking about drugs is not enough without introducing help to people’s lives. Therapy and a focus on mental health are important, and temporary fixes, like drugs, can do permanent damage. Hip-Hop has shifted from the soundtrack of the drug dealers to the psalms of the drug users. This narrative has to be stopped.
So, for me, the goal should be to allow space for transparency as I talk with a young fan. It should also point in the direction of healing and wholeness in such a way that the fan really asks the question: Does this way to healing work for the total me?
We need to reflect on the ways that we have been taught to grieve or to heal and dive deep into the best path forward that honors our humanity as well as pushes us into deeper ways of loving ourselves, our neighbors, and our God.
Does your church do outreach to young people that are similar to Juice that seem to not get that recreational drugs are dangerous or is it a wait until there is a crisis?
Our church tries to attract people from all walks of life, not with a specific and targeted evangelistic campaign, but with a commitment to intentionally creating safe spaces of worship and conversation. The struggle is knowing that no matter what approaches we experiment with, we will not reach all those we intend to. If one young person is passing away in our community from drug overdose then it is obviously not enough. It seems as if some of the anti-drug campaigns of previous generations may need to be re-introduced and re-imagined. The church has to provide holistic ministry and mental health support for the people that we are called to minister too and reach.
Why should the church care and why should Hip-Hop care about the church things?
I think the church should care because the reality is that Jesus cares about EVERYBODY. So much is at stake for many of the people who are like Juice and who resonate with Juice. If we look at the ministry and the message of Jesus, there is a thread that runs through His life that identifies with those who are socially “other” or religious “outcasts” as the crux of what the Kingdom of God should be about and the embodiment of what it means to move from stranger and enemy to family and friend.
In a great conversation with a bright brother, Dante Stewart, we discussed the church and Hip-Hop culture. Jesus did not simply tolerate people, but he sought to be a loving, liberating, healthy, and whole alternative to the ways human life took form. To use the language of Paul Lehmann, Jesus came to “make human life more human.” This means that the ways that humanity has been constructed and who counts as human became a spiritual, moral, and political problem. So to become human for Jesus meant the healing of the destruction and displacement of humanity; to put things right with our relation to ourselves, our neighbor (human and nonhuman), and our God.
The church and Hip-Hop are both vital threads that make up the beautiful fabric of African-American culture. The church and Hip-Hop live and intersect on the avenue of influence and identity. It does the African-American culture well for these two incredibly powerful entities to collaborate, cooperate and complement as opposed to clashing. Hip-Hop comes to the church for their funerals, Hip-Hop comes to the church for their weddings, Hip-Hop comes to church for their counseling. The church has leaned on Hip-Hop financially, the church has been greatly influenced by Hip-Hop. Some of the greatest Hip-Hop artists of all time have roots from substantial time and tutelage in church. We cannot disassociate from what we are most intrinsically intertwined with.
Too often young people who resonate deeply with Hip-Hop also find some incongruencies with the life of the church when it comes to their lives and witness in the world. Of course, there are many reasons for this, all of which do not fall to blame on either the church or the young. But one of the biggest reasons is that many young people do not see Black churches as real agents of social justice, emotional health, deep spiritual awareness and experience, and a family to belong to.
Why would a successful person like Juice – fall into addiction and why does it look so fun?
I don’t think Juice WRLD is different from many people that we encounter every day who struggle and succumb to the dangers of addiction and drug use. We see the reoccurring theme that coping with pressure in unhealthy ways has dangerous physical pressures and results. It looks fun because we see the use and seemingly euphoric experience but rarely do we see the after impact.
Moments like this are sobering because we always assume that the use is fun without pausing to consider the consequences. People are followers, we typically try and fix our problems in the way we see others fix their problems which are not necessarily always the best result.
Another angle is that people use drugs to mimic an artist who is using the same drug as a form of idolization.
Jesus had fun too? Luke 7:34 and Matthew 11:19 what’s the difference?
Yes, Jesus did have fun, however, His fun was always within context and moderation.
Even the fun that Jesus is referring to in these passages is in the context of the fun that John the Baptist did not have. The passage here states the “fun” that Jesus had was a ministry tool in order to reach a certain demographic. Fun within itself is not a sin, however, fun does have to be defined and put into proper context and perspective. Fun should not lead to destructive.
Kanye West has been going hard for his Christian faith just as much as he’s been diving back into his love of all things President Donald Trump. The Chicago superstar is taking his MAGA tap dance routine on the road to Houston and will appear at Joel Osteen’s church this coming Sunday.
Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ … Ye and Joel have been talking fairly regularly recently … they’ve become friends, especially since Kanye has doubled down in his devotion to God.
We’re told the plan is for Kanye to show up at Joel’s 11 AM service in Houston this coming Sunday at the Lakewood Church. Kanye will walk up to the pulpit and have a conversation with Joel that will last between 20 and 30 minutes.
Our sources say Joel wants his congregation — which stands 45,000 strong — and his TV audience — which stands at 10 million in the U.S. alone — to hear how Kanye has overcome significant adversity in his life.
As one source put it, “Kanye used to be about nothing greater than himself. Now it’s all about a higher power.” BTW, Kanye has echoed this sentiment before. We’re told Joel will ask Kanye to contrast his life then and now.
The outlet adds that West isn’t slated to perform but will be in attendance at the 11AM service.
Someone in Bill De Blasio’s camp needs to pull him aside. The politician didn’t get the memo that the pied piper of pee-pee is culturally cancelled.
As spotted on Billboard the city official was caught doing the most during a recent appearance at a South Carolina church. While at the Victory Tabernacle Deliverance Temple he joined in on the choir’s praise and began clapping along with the inspirational music. Problem was the tune was “I Believe I Can Fly”.
The akward moment found him flapping his wings to micmic the lyrics. Additionally there were some parishioners who were in attendance who clearly were not here for anything R. Kelly. NY1 news reporter Courtney Gross was onsite and shared video via her Twitter. I wonder if the @NYCMayor realizes who sings this song #SouthCarolina“.
As expected the clip went viral quickly causing the civil cervant to address the blunder. In a statement to The Daily News his office denied De Blasio was aware he was catching the holy ghost to the “Ignition” singer’s vocals. “The Mayor wasn’t the church’s DJ, and he certainly can’t be expected to recognize every R. Kelly track.”
Bill and his wife visited the place of worship to discuss his potential presidential run in 2020. You can see clip in question below.
“This world will take your dream from you quick if you don’t stay locked in,” Boogie says on a cold day in Lower Manhattan. He is referring to a lesson intended for his young son, but it comes from personal experience. For five years, the Compton representative has been persistently pushing the line with his art. The MC and singer who used a student loan to purchase recording equipment has transcended from reaching out to blogs for posts to signing with Shady Records and going bar-for-bar with Eminem. In 2019, his dream seems to be manifesting in real-time. Boogie has already released one of 2019’s best albums so far in the form of Everything’s For Sale. It marks the Compton, California representative’s first drop with Eminem’s label and his first time on the charts. Twenty-nine-year-old Anthony Dixson is a different kind of act on the Shady roster. Although a cutting lyricist, Boogie’s music also offers melodic deliveries in many places. His sound and style pull from the church and Southern California’s gangland, in a cohesive way. On the microphone, Boogie shuns the cheap maneuvers so many rappers seem to rely on. He speaks his mind, confronts aspects of his personal life, and makes no bones about wishing to be remembered as a great. Although the presentation is quite different, the approach is not unlike that of Marshall Mathers some 20 years ago. Boogie Disrespects Eminem In The Most Respectful Way In His New Video
In speaking with AFH TV, Boogie unpacks the messages found on Everything’s For Sale. Along the way, he discusses his career, and his views about parenthood as well as love. He also details an emphasis on writing the kinds of songs that not only make him so easy to listen to, but someone that is relatable to so many. Before joining Shady in 2017, Boogie existed without the kind of cosigns that many emerging artists seem to seek and rely on. While he admits that he no longer cares, the MC notes, “It was irritating at a point for me, ’cause I felt like I was working so hard but was getting ignored. But I’m realizing that confirmation from another rapper or another man, period, that don’t define success. That’s just some stuff that was all just in my head. So now I don’t need they cosign, ’cause they’re competition at the end of the day.” By 2016, veterans and peers took notice. Boogie appeared on songs and projects by hometown heroes such as The Game, DJ Quik & Problem, as well as fellow sensation Buddy.< Boogie & J.I.D. Reject Industry Gimmicks In Favor Of Real Rap Now, Boogie’s latest single, “Rainy Days,” features Eminem’s first music of 2019. Asked how Shady’s founder discovered his music, Boogie says, “I have no idea.” Like Yelawolf, he was an Interscope Records act before inking with Shady. The label distributed some of Boogie’s prior releases including 2016’s Thirst 48 Part II. “I think [Eminem’s] manager, Paul [Rosenberg] got wind of me, maybe from the ‘Ni**a Needs’ video, ’cause Rihanna posted [it on Instagram]. I’m just guessin’; I have no idea. I just got a call one day that Em was interested. Then I was in Detroit like a day or two later.” Ahead of the 2017 Shady display for the BET Hip Hop Awards, Boogie showcased his skills alongside Conway The Machine and Benny The Butcher, following Eminem’s blockbuster political freestyle. Royce 5’9, who later put Boogie on 2018’s “Dumb,” watched in the background.
On “Rainy Days,” Boogie begins his verse: “So word to my idols and word to the GOATs / I ain’t sayin’ I like ’em, I’d kill all them ni**as, and wear ’em as coats.” He reflects on those bars. “At the end of the day, I’m not tryin’ to be nobody’s little homie. That’s just me tellin’ y’all I’m on your head; you can get the same sh*t that everybody else gettin’.” AFH TV asks Boogie about the lyrics’ context, given the collaboration. “Yeah, he changed my life; he put me in front of 80,000 people. I’m signed to him; that’s the big dog. He’s one of the greatest rappers of all time, if not the greatest. But my purpose in life isn’t to be second to nobody at the end of the day; my purpose is to be bigger than Eminem, bigger than anybody else who wants to step in my way.” Moments later, Boogie acknowledges that JAY-Z is his favorite MC. In addition to the “Renegade” MCs, he says he considers J. Cole, Tupac, and Kendrick Lamar to also be in that elite class.
Boogie Shows Why Eminem Signed Him With An Off The Top Freestyle (Video) In terms of Hip-Hop, Boogie also provides his definition for “Real Rap,” a term that can mean different things to different people. “[It means] honesty, emotions, and just not trying to avoid the fact that you’re human and you’ve got real feelings. That’s what it means to me.” In looking at his evolution as an MC, Boogie notes, “I think sometimes I just need to learn how to come off more subtle. I think if I want people to be open to what I’m saying I need to not be so aggressive when I’m doin’ it.” For an artist who regularly bemoans personas “on social,” he later admits he had to learn to put himself on display. “If you want to have change in the world and more impact, when you show people that you’re just like them, it’s easier for them to accept it so people know that I go through sh*t too.” While Boogie reps Compton, he was born in Los Angeles and raised in Long Beach. During adolescence, his mother got him involved with a church in the Hub City. While the move was intended to clean up his act, it became a pivot to the streets. “The church is the reason I started gang-banging. I wouldn’t have been in Compton in the first place if it wasn’t for this church, ’cause I wasn’t born in Compton,” he says. On his 2019 album’s artwork, Boogie is dressed in a red suit, carrying a casket outside of the church with red doors. “Everybody from that church just happened to be from this neighborhood. So after church, I was always in Compton streets. Just transitioning to that it was a super easy transition. The crazy thing about Compton, church and gang-banging, they go hand-in-hand. I don’t know why. It’s a dark thing though.” Like past collaborators Quik and Game, that affiliation also sticks with artists for life. Kendrick Lamar Details What Saved Him From The Streets Of Compton After becoming integrated with the CPT streets, Boogie’s musical direction changed from Gospel Rap to songs covering all aspects of his life. “I had to tell what I was really goin’ through in life. [I was not] just goin’ through Christian wars. I was really goin’ through street battles, and you can’t really talk about that in church. I had to talk about what I was goin’ through, like the gang-bangin’ stuff. It just happening like that.” While it may have introduced him to gang affiliation, Sunday services also contributed to his musicality. “That’s 100% from the church choir and me listening to R&B all day.” He notes that Lauryn Hill, Brandy, and Usher also reinforced those interests. Westside Gunn & Conway Explain What To Expect From Their Partnership With Eminem “I’m from Piru,” he confirms. Notably, neighboring Long Beach is known for its Crip sets. Boogie is asked if that presented any problems near his home. “It just worked out; I’m respected in Long Beach. Long Beach don’t get into it with Compton; Long Beach has their own issues [internally]. There’s not really a Compton vs. Long Beach war.” Carson, California’s Reason is another artist who has worked across gang boundaries and neighborhoods. Boogie, Reason, and J.I.D. have developed a friendship as three artists with similar principles. “People always put us in a box together, me, J.I.D., and Reason,” notes Boogie. Besides Em, Dreamville’s J.I.D. is a standout guest on Everything’s For Sale video single “Soho.”. He appears on “We [all are] rappin’, and not like on some corny back-packer stuff, but we got substance, concepts, and stuff like that—not sayin’ other people don’t. [People hear] similar vibes I feel like, even though we all rap so different. J.I.D. rap way faster than me. ‘Cause I got a lisp, I can’t rap that fast. Reason’s super punchline-head-ass, like I tell him all the time. I got more melodies than both of them. They’re my boys though.” Eminem Returns To His Battle Rap Roots With 2018’s Best Freestyle (Video) Elsewhere in the discussion, Boogie explains why he is intent on winning a Grammy. He also discusses the value in finding a partner who embraces flaws, and the importance of his son. The full conversation is available at AFH TV. We are currently offering free 30-day trials.
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