In 2004, three-time Grammy Award-winning rapper Kanye West wrote the catchy hit "Jesus Walks," which was cool. For both of you reading this who have not heard the song because your fundy youth pastor told you secular music with beats was devil music after going to the Bill Gothard seminar, here is the hook from the chorus:

(Jesus Walks)
God show me the way because the Devil try to break me down

(Jesus Walks with me)
The only thing that I pray is that my feet don't fail me now

(Jesus Walks)
And I don't think there's nothing I can do to right my wrongs

(Jesus Walks with me)
I wanna talk to God but I'm afraid cause we ain't spoke in so long

But then a Rolling Stone magazine cover shot appeared with Kanye West wearing a crown of thorns next to the caption, "The Passion of Kanye West." And if that wasn't bad enough, the suburban rapper's latest theological insanity includes a call for a revised edition of the Bible because he thinks he should be in it. His illogic is that he would be a fitting "griot" (West African storyteller) in a modern Bible. With self-esteem/pride that would make even Satan blush he says,

"I changed the sound of music more than one time. . . For all those reasons, I'd be a part of the Bible. I'm definitely in the history books already."

Perhaps what is most curious is the fact that with all that Kanye has already achieved, the highest honor he can think of is being like Jesus and being in the Bible. In pastoral ministry I have seen a similar trend with those suffering from manic bouts. On their emotional highs, those with manic tendencies conceive of themselves in the highest regards, which means that nearly everyone who crosses over the manic line thinks they are Jesus Christ. Why? Because even if you are as lost as Dick Cheney in the brush, deep down we all know that Jesus is the most supreme person who has ever lived and the Bible is the most supreme book that has ever been written. Therefore, likely without even knowing it, Kanye's desire to be like Jesus is in some ways a twisted honor to achieve the one thing he never can: glory.