Lady and the Ho
How different can members of two generations within the same ethnic group be? I confess to finding myself not just puzzled, but mind-boggled, by the stark contrast I recently noted between an older African-American lady (and I underscore the designation of lady here) and a young woman whose outrageous behavior can only be described as a disappointment to her elders. One can imagine the first lady, neatly dressed in her pink pantsuit, her graying hair smoothed (not straightened) and neatly groomed, her lips pursing in disapproval as the young “woman of color” waggles her ultra miniskirt-clad derriere to the entertainment (or dismay) of all and sundry.
Did I mention that both of these extremely different representatives of their race describe themselves as Christian?
Now, they don’t attend the same church, but each will tell you of their love of the Lord. The matriarch can point to works of mercy and shepherding the hearts of the young. She can also point with withering intensity at the loss of modesty and good behavior among the young blacks she knows, even her own descendants. At this point, she can only hope that her granddaughter marries the young buck she shares her homestead with. Grandma shakes her head and wonders, “Where did we go wrong? Didn’t we teach them the way in which they should go? I know we did, or at least we tried to.”
The girl whose only purpose in life is to serve as a bad example will go on, and on, and on about her love for the Lord. But talk is cheap, and church attendance only cherished when the worship band is revved up and young bodies gyrate in a tantalizing manner to music that disgraces the description of “praise music”, with mindless refrains sung endlessly in the same key. Repetition can’t make a tag line into theology, no matter how well the band sings.
The girl hikes up her miniskirt to flash just a little extra epidermis. No one comments on her clothing at church now; after all, the worship leader’s wife wears denim and t-shirts 24/7, what’s a little bit of flesh among fellow believers? Besides, the boy from that other high school was looking at her as if she was mighty fine during last Wednesday evening’s small group meeting. And church was the best place to meet other Christian kids, wasn’t it?
Both women attend church. What’s the difference? What makes the Lady or the Ho?
Some would point to popular culture, BET, rap and hip-hop music. I’m not saying these don’t have an influence on how young people of any race comport themselves, however, I can’t help but wonder if behavior gets worse among the young when they see no condemnation of popular culture at church, no calming and uplifting tradition of liturgy and music, no attempt to please God instead of man in worship. When the church sells out to the culture, who will believe the church when it says the culture is wrong and must be resisted?
If no standard is held up, how can it be held to?
Our elderly lady puts on her choir robe in preparation for worship. Our young example takes off as much fabric as she can.
Both would say they love our Lord.
One of them is wrong.
As a Kinist, I hold that each race should strive to be the best it can be, within its own boundaries and nations. But how can a race accomplish this if they allow the culture AND the church to eat their young?
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