New Eyes, New Ears
I guess I am back.
I’m seated at the salon, my hairdresser twisting my hair into little locks. Yeah, I locked my hair three weeks ago after I finally gave up on the hassle of trying to make it look good, in all its toughness. I think I like the direction I am going with this. Anyway, that is not why I am back. In the recent past, someone hit my mentions and said that he misses the days I would keep him abreast on the latest in our music world. Just in case you were wondering whether your thoughts are part of the “Thoughts and Stuff” mantra, well, they most definitely are. Thanks so much for always checking in. 🙂
@shikungigi once upon a time you used to introduce me to dope Christian jams on your blog, please go back #sincerereader
— Uncle mickey (@mwalimumiki) August 15, 2017
Well, a lot has happened in my music world since the last time I ever spoke music in here but I will talk about the most recent two and make it a habit going forward.
All Things Work Together
First and foremost, Lecrae releases his eighth album, All Things Work Together a few weeks ago. As expected, I was all over the place screaming about it and anyone who has to travel or live with me has had to listen to the tracks over and over again the past few weeks. The thing about this particular album is it is different from the past ones, especially after Lecrae kind of found himself again. It did not even do as well as Anomaly according to the charts. Apparently the usual Evangelical Christian crowd ditched him gradually. Either way, I think it is the best. Fine, I am not rapping along yet as I would to Rebel and Rehab, but let’s wait and see. Maybe it’s just age catching up with me. I only play like three tracks from Anomaly on repeat but I rarely skip a track on All Things Work Together. I am for real.
And it is very real, the album. It talks about the struggles we go through, Christian or not, black or not. Okay, maybe mostly if you are black in America, because, I mean, Lecrae is a black man in the US. What did we expect? My favourite track right now is Can’t Stop Me Now. Funny enough, it was released over a year ago, but I only paid attention to it in the album.
If you are part of my Google Drive crew, check that folder out. I updated it. 😉
Now, this is the main reason I am writing.
Streetlights Bible
I am telling you people, if you struggle reading the Bible like I do, you will be ashamed after listening to the guys at Streetlights Bible read it to you. I discovered the newest album last week at work, over my earphones, on Apple Music New Releases section. However, I can never listen to anything new at work and give it the attention it deserves, so I put it aside. Then last night, while I was cooking, I went back to it. The first thing I thought was, is that Propaganda reading 1st Corinthians?🤔 Then the second thing was, wow, are Paul’s words this philosophical, thought-provoking and beautiful? What have I been doing with my life? What have I been doing with m Bible, reading the easy parts? Why have I always felt like it is such a task to read it?
Seriously guys, Esteban Shedd started reading and I felt like a part of my brain I did not know existed was opened. I remembered why I love Spoken Word so much. The verses are read over beats that add a bit of emotion to them, different beats for every chapter. Every verse becomes clearer and makes you want to understand exactly where Paul was coming from. I even grabbed a Bible to be sure Esteban was not changing the words and making them more dramatic. Turns out he is reading word for word, not from my NIV but from NLT.
I laughed. I found myself hollering. You know how those African Americans do in church when a preacher is on the pulpit? Like that. I am not even kidding you. “Mhmm!” “Preach!” “Amen, Paul!” And I learnt a ton, like the fact that Paul kept repeating that there are things he wrote about that were his opinion and there are those that are from God. Such as the controversial women and men in church chapter. You know, covering heads and not speaking. We, wacha tu kwanza. (LOL, commercial break, who here has not watched Justin Bradford yet? Msiniambie kwa comments, mimi sijali.)
I even thought, why don’t people just stand on the pulpit and read these verses with as much feeling and call it a day as that would be a sufficient sermon? I mean, that would not hurt every once in a while?
7 It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.
21 So don’t boast about following a particular human leader. For everything belongs to you— 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Peter, or the world, or life and death, or the present and the future. Everything belongs to you, 23 and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
These verses are from chapter 3 which is about people boasting about following either Paul or Apollos. How true, in this day and age when we are all over shouting about Uhuru and Raila? Need I say more? Kwanza there is a hot chapter about sex in there. Super hot. Chapter 7. Never paid attention to it like I did jana. Look it up afresh.
And just like that, I had read, or rather listened to the whole of 1 Corinthians in about an hour. Sigh. I have been doing life wrong. I will listen to more, as there are more books covered and more will be covered. And I will listen while reading too, over and over again. Then it will inform my living better. Then eventually I will not need someone to read books with feeling for me to want to read them without the struggle. Baby steps.
Guys, just check Streetlights Bible out. It is also an app you can download on your phone.
Also, I will keep discovering times I can write, like now when my hands are totally free. This space will not go to waste. 🙂
Thanks everyone! Tell those feelings of depression and doubt to go away, they can’t stop you now! All my love.
I’ve just read 1st Corinthians. A little severe but a marvelous read. Read the chapters in Kikuyu and you will want to forever remain glued reading them. They should develop an app that reads in Kiuk. I enjoyed reading this article.
Kyuk is hard, I have tried to read the Kikuyu Bible severally. Will keep trying though. Thanks!
I woke up to your post and immediately checked out the Streetlights Bible, before recommending it to everyone I know. It’s great!! Thanks for sharing.
Yayy!
I will try Streetlights Bible out but #teamATWT all the way…as usual! :-D, alafu from a friend’s experience locking your hair will really increase the length of your hair in a short time, you will be so impressed!
Copy that!
Streetlights Bible is the best app there ever was. I cant stop listening… iv listened to all of John in a sitting…wooooh!. Just like you im like, have i even been living if i dint know such a magnificent thing existed really..sigh! But now i do thanks to you. Please keep sharing these new stuff you discover. You are helping a whole lot of us!
I’m glad!