In a newly released video, Christian rapper and music artist Lecrae shared his powerful testimony of deconstruction and how he ultimately found his way to a greater and more in-depth relationship with Jesus.
After struggling with the sentiments of evangelicalism during varying cultural events, Lecrae realized that some topics are more politically-charged and polarizing than what he believes should be. He also began to notice that religiosity is, in many ways, a bigger stronghold over the Christian community than actual fear or desire for the Lord. Instead, he warns that many times what people are after instead is a production.
“We see people showing up on Sunday to come to a play or a Broadway presentation,” Lecrae said. “They’re disconnected from one another. There’s not really genuine fellowship; you don’t know if you’ll see the same people from week-to-week.”
Lecrae says that while churches try to institute community groups to help bring believers together, they don’t always serve the proper purpose that the early church had in mind when they earnestly came together in fellowship.
“There’s no real connectivity or genuine relationships, so a lot of churches’ institutions have had to create these things called community groups hoping to facilitate some community, but that even becomes awkward because now you’re forcing people to connect and like, jive together instead of like, an authentic way of living amongst each other…it’s not about, ‘Oh man, I haven’t been to the institution with a good speaker in a long time,’ no; but are you connected to people who love Jesus?”
Lecrae shared that while he did try for a period of time to completely wander away from God, it was his friends and family who were able to build him up through his healing process back to the foundation of Christ. He does warn that while there are certain things that need to be altered from our thought process about Christianity, he doesn’t advocate for people to try to find morality outside of Jesus.
“When most millennials say ‘deconstruction,’ what they’re saying is they have decided to tear down their belief system. Many of them are saying, ‘hey, what does life without Jesus look like? What does morality, what does marriage, all these particular things look like if I do away with this faith that I had in Jesus,'” Lecrae explained. “What I believe is healthy deconstruction is keeping Christ as the foundation. He says He’s the cornerstone, and then tearing down these walls around Him that have been built by our societies and civilizations that have way more culture and tradition than they have truth in them.”
As many Christians are deciding to leave the faith, Lecrae’s message comes at a powerful time for Christians to reflect on the reasons why young adults and others are choosing to follow after the world instead of Christ. May we root ourselves on the foundation of who Jesus is and who He is presented to us in Scripture as so we can be the light of the world instead of simply chasing after the next big Sunday event.
Join Charisma Magazine Online to follow everything the Holy Spirit is doing around the world!
Abby Trivett is a marketing copywriter and coordinator for Charisma Media.
