[516 words]
To say that Kanye West has an ego is quite an understatement. He believes one would have to go back to Beethoven to find his equal; he has compared himself to Picasso; and he has claimed, “I am Steve Jobs,” and “I am Walt Disney.”
But his claims to be on par with Jesus and his song “I am God” pushed the very edge of megalomania. And now there’s more fuel for his ego! In a new book, “The Book of Yeezus,” Kanye fans rewrote Genesis to replace every reference to God with the singer’s name. That’s right! “In the beginning, KANYE created the Heavens and the Earth!”
Now, this might seem like harmless foolishness to you. And obviously, it is pretty easy to dismiss as nonsense. After all, Kanye isn’t an infinite being; he isn’t omniscient; he isn’t omnipotent; he isn’t omnipresent; and well, he can’t speak matter into existence.
But consider this: isn’t this latest blasphemy just the logical conclusion of our society? Isn’t this where idolizing singers, athletes, actors, and politicians had to take us? Rewriting Genesis may seem outlandish, but it points out a far bigger flaw in America today – out of control egos in each one of us. What began with “every man is king of his house,” has become, “every man his own god.”
You see, Kanye’s ego might be a little bigger than most. And we might not say it as boldly as he does. But there are a lot of folks running around these days with the attitude that, they too, are God. They make their own rules and their own morality…they are masters of their destiny.
In the Bible, we see an example of where Kanye-sized egos take us as individuals and as a society. Nebuchadnezzar ruled a big kingdom – the Babylonian empire. In Daniel 4, looking on his kingdom, he asked, “Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?” Bad idea.
God lowered Nebuchadnezzar, and made him like one of the beasts of the field, acting insane and eating grass. It wasn’t until he recognized God as the highest ruler and King of Heaven that all his “reason returned.” Ultimately, though, Babylon was overthrown by the Persians due to the ego of invulnerability. Perhaps it is time for reason to return to the rest of us!
Actors, singers, athletes, and politicians are not gods…not even a little. Neither is Kanye. And neither are you. Nor am I. We are often selfish, at times egotistical, and always flawed human beings. We need salvation from the burden of our sins.
And thankfully, God has provided us with the perfect example. Jesus, God in the flesh, came to show us what being God really looks like. He performed many signs, wonders, and miracles. He lived a perfect life. And He sacrificed Himself for all of mankind. Kanye-like fame comes and goes, but there is only one who separated the light from the dark and created all. Look to Him today!
Greg Wanderman
Clover church of Christ
Clover, SC