I Got Something to Say

I got something to say...
Sho Baraka has a great song on his 2016 album The Narrative called Kanye, 2009. I’m not really a connoisseur of hip-hop but I really dig this song. It features the great Jackie Hill Perry and some cool sax riffs. Sho repeatedly reminds us in the hook that, “he got something to say.” He makes a lot of cogent and poignant points that I enjoy and may write about later but it’s the hook of this song that has been resonating in my soul for some time and I got something to say.


Along with many in our society, I am evaluating and re-evaluating the role that I want social media to play in my life and that of my family. One of the most challenging critiques of social media for me that I’ve heard is that our repeated tweeting and posting cheapens the things that we have to say. I think this is true. Our words have become so cheap that we often don’t even stop to read these tweets and posts if they don't grab us in the first twelve characters. We certainly don’t take the time to read or write carefully much less to understand deeply. I got something to say.


During my social media heyday, I loved debating politics, faith and economics on Twitter and Facebook. I would post provocative things and enjoy threads hundreds of comments long. I even once got retweeted by conservative firebrand Ann Coulter during my radical right-wing-overcorrection phase and instantly got more than 500 new followers on a Twitter handle I had back then. I’m pretty sure I contributed pretty heavily to the polarization and attention deficit that we see now in our public discourse. (You probably did and do too so don’t judge me) Over time I noticed that nobody is changing anybody’s mind in 140 or 280 characters. Yet, I still feel like I got something to say. 


I think that there is a reason that this song is resonating with me during a time when I’ve been feeling convicted to say and consume less on social media. I got something to say and I feel like God has a way He wants me to say it. He wants me to speak carefully, thoughtfully, lovingly and in a way that represents the Gospel and glorifies Him. He also knows that I highly value intelligent and civil discussion and even debate. Social media isn’t really the place for that to happen. I got something to say and if you care to hear it, I want you to come on over to my place and take your time and listen and respond carefully because I got something to say.


The world seems to be spinning out of control. We have political, racial, economic and philosophical angst among Americans. My fellow evangelicals are following the world down the same divergent and acrimonious rabbit holes as we debate race and politics among ourselves. I happen to believe that there is a better way and I got something to say about finding God’s heart concerning some of these issues and giving a Bible centric, Gospel centric, truth centric view that isn’t beholden to tribe. 
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Blogging has always been in the periphery of my possibilities. Now is the time to let it all out and go. I’ve learned a lot in the last several years. I’ve grown a lot and experienced much change and evolution of thought. I’m looking forward to examining faith, society and culture with you if you’re interested in my thoughts. I definitely got something to say and maybe we’ll have some fun along the way!