I don’t have my head buried in the sand. I know the thought of listening to a rap song is nothing shy of repulsive for some (okay, many) of you. I really am aware of that. And I’m still asking you to do it, not to torture you, but because I’m convinced it will benefit you greatly. Though I have enjoyed the sound of rap since I was first exposed to it in the late 80’s, this song is beneficial not because of its sound, but because of its lyrics, which scroll in the video below to make your listening experience a bit easier. “Were You There When They Crucified My Lord” was originally written as an old negro spiritual, and has only more recently been arranged as a rap song by Lamp Mode recording artists, Shai Linne.
To wet your appetite, I’ll leave you with the quotation from C.J. Mahaney, which ends and essentially summarizes the song:
‘Were you there when they crucified my Lord,’ the old negro spiritual asks. And we must answer, ‘Yes, we were there, not as spectators only, but as participants, guilty participants, plotting, scheming, betraying, denying, and handing him over to be crucified.’ We may try to wash our hands of responsibility like Pilate, but our attempt would be futile. Before we can begin to see the cross as something done for us, leading us to faith and worship, we have to see it as something done by us, leading us to repentance. Only the man or woman who is prepared to own his share in the guilt of the cross may claim his share in its grace.
We will do well to remember that the enjoyment of God’s grace is reserved for those who are convinced they desperately need it. My prayer is that this song will provide for you exactly that remembrance.