It is the view of many people that US rapper Kendrick Lamar’s recent ‘Godspeed’ performance at Glastonbury and socialite Pretty Mike’s ‘Performance’ at the white wedding of Nigerian comedian, Funnybone, turned art into a weapon of offence!
Both performances and displays took artistic liberties too far in their contents, expressions and brazenness. But in weaponizing art and making it an instrument of offence, they took away much of their intended messages. That is, by ‘putting on Jesus Christ’ in a way that offends the sensibilities of many who call him their Lord and Saviour, they took away significantly from whatever they wished to communicate to their audiences.
While not imputing any untoward motive on both ‘artists,’ it is safe to presume that there was a deliberate attempt to ‘shock,’ ‘enrage,’ ‘upset’ and ‘annoy’ a certain class of people: the same people who revere Jesus Christ and regard him as their Lord and Saviour. Incidentally, this class of people were warned. They were told that some persons will rise up and intentionally craft, design and create situations to offend followers of Jesus. Following which some of those offended ‘will betray one another and even hate one another.’ Or become very angry and react irrationally, like the great Moses did many, many years previously when he was provoked by some people.
The case of Moses was a pathetic one in the sense that the same people that provoked him and pushed him to the foolishness that cost him his place in the Promised Land, were the same people he had slaved for and done so much for. They pushed him to the point where he reacted badly and things went badly for him.
Clearly, it is easier to give it back than to turn the proverbial other cheek! Those who know this and have resolved to keep pushing out contents that offend must not forget that there is a limitless resource called grace that is within the reach of ‘those in their line of fire.’ And there is no telling when the Provider of this grace will call each man and woman to give account for all their actions and inactions, whether artistic expressions or otherwise.
