Christian news: Gospel great Kirk Franklin calls his adult son a *&%$# in leaked audio
Kirk Franklin is someone whose music I listened to over the years for inspiration and upliftment. Mostly his story is that of a broken soul who found God after a traumatic childhood full of poverty, abuse, and abandonment. He was a teenage father and indulged in his share of dysfunction and debauchery. A pioneer in gospel circles, he is famous for putting gospel music on the mainstream map, using the Christian narrative of grace, redemption from the past, forgiveness, and God's love and acceptance over hot beats and melodies that appeal to the younger generation.
This isn't to praise Kirk- just to give him context. Kirks' son in this situation is his oldest (33) from his teenage years. Many speculate that this son has had the misfortune of experiencing the detriments of the pre-christian lifestyle of his father. Their relationship, as a result, has been contentious according to Kirk to the point that he has a family therapist on speed dial.
The video as seen here is Kirk cussing his son out, calling him all kinds of names. The controversy revolves around the fact that these kinds of venomous sentiments are coming from the mouth of a man publicly known for being a saved righteous christian who makes songs on love and God and repenting from one's shady past. At this seasoned stage of Kirk's life one would think he'd be more in harmony with his own children [and grandchildren], according to the music he makes.
Listen to the video of the phone recording. [Sorry, I couldn't find the recording on its own. The end of the video is music the person put in there.] But it isn't just that Kirk is angry. We all get angry at times. We all say things in anger that we may not mean. I'm sure you parents out there have moments with your older kids where you may want to cuss them out. I'm not saying his son is an angel. I'm also not saying he should have leaked this audio to publicly humiliate his celebrity father. [Let's be honest about that as well].
But this was more than anger. It was crazy how he was talking to his son, threatening to beat his a$$ while some fool was snickering in the background. He called his son a b"4tch and a few other names that many of us wouldn't say to a stranger, never the less our own child. Although no one on the outside really knows the truth of what is really going on between Kirk and his son, it can't be denied that what was secretly exposed is a peak behind the curtain at the real Kirk Franklin. A christian man who can't relate to his son in a respectful manner is another example of the failure of modern-day christianity.
Some people say that "we're all human" that we "all fall short of the glory of God". This is always the excuse for Christians who are caught in hypocrisy or other willful bad behavior. It's deflecting using the bible to avoid accountability.
Christians can't have it both ways. You can't be this:
And at the same time be this:
If you're a certain profession, there are expectations for your behavior. We can argue whether that's fair, and that's fine. But the reality is that if believing Jesus died for your sins is the only thing that separates the "saved" from the "unsaved" or God's royal priesthood or God's chosen from the unchosen, then you're going to get dragged by society when they see you acting just as dirty as everyone else-or worse.
It isn't about expecting people to be perfect and never mess up. This is about living a life of integrity that is congruent with your beliefs. Not extremism. But we know too many people who profess to be a christian who are no different than us. In fact, many are worse than us-the ones they judge and look down upon for not going to their church, or going to church at all, or for not believing the bible is infallible, or for not [fill in the blank] of whatever it is they do.
The christian faith system causes many to live in a state of cognitive dissonance. Many christians in the spotlight-like gospel artists- have dark secrets and hidden lifestyles that conflict with the public christian persona. This is why they almost seem like they have split personalities. There is the personality of the gospel singer on stage. Then there's the personality of the person at church meetings. Then there's the personality of the person behind closed doors at home with their family. And then you have the person who is all alone when no one they know is watching.
This type of dichotomy is a petri dish for cults to grow. This ideological inconsistency of people like Kirk Franklin make church cults appealing to vulnerable people seeking authentic faith practices. Kirk needs to make a choice who he wants to be. We need to make a choice, too.
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