You Won’t Believe It, God Actually Loves The Hood
For God so loved the trap
Originally published on Epiphany Baltimore Church Blog
I have a confession to make; I love trap music. Don’t judge me too harshly.
I grew up on Miami bass music. Artists like, Trick Daddy, the Hot Boys, and Master P have long been staples of my musical-cultural formation.
So trap music, the evolutionary child of southern hip-hop is a perennial favorite of mine. Trap music, stylistically, is the current soundtrack to life in the streets.
As an urban missionary and church planter, it helps me to feel the grittiness and immediate need for gospel intervention on the block.
You cant talks about trap music and not mention, Future. Future recently made a song entitled Trap. The last line in the hook is what grabbed my attention.
Future declares, “God blessin’ all the trap n!gg@s”.
It’s an ode to those who sell drugs on the block. As if to say, God sees you working day in and day out. God commends your work ethic and has blessed you with your drug sales so that you can get expensive things, buy your momma a house and even outdo your opponents in the dice game.
In the midst of the unceasing violence and spiritual decay of a trap house, Future believes God is blessing those in the trap.
I do not seek to glorify the lyrics of Future’s song nor endorse any other song he’s ever created. His celebration of drug abuse, sexual exploitation and rampant violence are antithetical to the Christian message and harmful to those who envy his lifestyle.
But there is one place I agree with Future, God absolutely is seeking to bless those in the trap!
Trapped in the Trap House
The trap as defined by Urban Dictionary is a place where drug deals are carried out.
In the trap house, there are two individuals, those who sell drugs and those who use drugs. The trap is a trap for all those involved.
The drug abuser is trapped in a perpetual cycle of dependence and addiction. The dope man is trapped in a cycle of self-destructive behavior and dependence upon oppression of his neighbors and community members.
In spite of that, God loves the drug abuser and the drug dealer. He loves them so much that he sent his only Son to die for them.
It can be easy to believe that God’s love stops short of the trap house.
But that is not the case.
The love of God flows to the core of the trap, to set the captives free.
Isaiah 61:1–2 is clear,
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound…”
Jesus goes on to say of himself, “I have come to set the captives free.”(Luke 4:8).
He could not be more clear in his aim.
Those who have been trapped on the block, caught up in the streets and involved in the dope game are among those he seeks to liberate.
Those oppressed by their addictions, those seeking to profit off the backs of others, those who have been found guilty of crimes against their brothers, Christ loves them and died for them too.
In The Rough is a publication seeking to engage who live life in the streets. We luh God and we luh the culture.
We’re 80’s and 90’s babies who are Christians seeking God and grinding to make a difference in our neighborhoods and cities. We’re not satisfied to live a sterilized, passive existence.
We want to live a life where our life and lips match up. We love the local church, and want to love our neighbors, and want to see that happen over and over again.
We serve the Creator of creativity, which means we want good movies, good music, and dope art. And we are always on the lookout to see what God is doing in the world so that we can be a part of it.
