It’s one of the church’s most delicate topics to talk about, but one of the most popular as well. Today, news and reports from the Christian music genre say artist Jennifer Knapp has come back and come out.
In a recent interview with CNN reporters, the Christian music star, who walked away from a very successful career nearly seven years ago, says she’d “rather be judged before God as being an honest human being.” The singer recently announced that she’s coming back with a new album this spring and also revealed she’s been in a same-sex relationship for the last eight years, a major part of the reason why she disappeared in the first place.
Knapp has always been a private kind of star so her revelation and decision to come out to the church and the Christian music scene presents a bit of an enigma for die-hard fans and supporters.
This type of news has once again shaken the Christian music scene, but Knapp doesn’t seem to be surprised and why should she? It’s a known fact that church leaders and Christians often find themselves in the crossfire when these types of conversations occur.
“I’m aware that the evangelical community has problems with divorce and many other facets of their artists, let alone homosexuality,” Knapp said. “I really felt a strong obligation to be able to address that because for many people, it was really clear that they wouldn’t participate in buying a record because it was against their beliefs.”
There’s much speculation about Jennifer Knapp’s announcement, but let’s not forget that 1) she’s not the first and 2) she won’t be the last to make such a bold statement. Too many times we (Christians) find ourselves caught up in the controversy and forget to make sound decisions based on Biblical principles.
Ponder this for a moment. If your praise and worship leader or your pastor decided to announce their homosexuality, how would that affect your attendance and participation in your Sunday morning services? What does this mean for future recording artists who are experiencing the same thing?
Be completely honest with yourselves. How does race and gender affect your comfort zone with homosexuality in the church? Take a moment to read more on the story then post your comments to tell us what you think. Is the world beginning to look more and more like the church causing us to forget to lift up a standard? Or should we continue to practice the teachings of Christ by loving and embracing one another regardless of one’s struggles?
For more on the story, visit CNN’s Entertainment hot spot by clicking here.
