I may be staunchly agnostic, but I always dedicate a bit of time every 6-8 days at least (most days really, but especially Sundays) to contemplating the lawd and the Universe and all that spirity stuff. It’s like church on independent study with no collection plate. So today you get a Jesus Jam.

Kirk Franklin and the Family – Jesus Is the Reason

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Leeda9X17Y

 

Like most Kirk Franklin tunes, this is mad catchy, not least of which for the smattering of references to popular, decidedly unholy, hip-hop and R&B jams of the mid-90s. It’s that secular touch the church folks love. For all that exuberant Jackson warbling yesterday, Kirk is letting y’all know – Santa Claus ain’t got nothing on this black baby Jesus. Or these moves. Or Eddie Long’ s top comment on that video.

It just gets weird trying to remain politically correct this time of year, since you have one vocal group of people who get offended at any mention of the Christ- part of Christmas, or the Christmas part of Happy Holidays for that matter… and another vocal group who demand that Jesus remain the overarching and primary reason for the season. I truly think the majority of people don’t care, but you wouldn’t know it going by the effort I’ve had to put out choosing retail “holiday” decorations that don’t reference any particular holiday whatsoever.

I think the month of December, for Americans at least, is just a free-for-all buy lots of crap, decorate, eat a lot of food and party… and that’s totally okay. I don’t shop a lot and I’m not particularly religious, but this is the one time when I know that my whole family is going to be off work at the same time and able to get together, and that’s why it’s special for me. Whether you’re filling an advent folder, spinning a dreidel, knitting some Kwanzaa hats or just maxing out your credit card for no particular reason, enjoy it. It’s not an accident that all these holidays coincide around the end of the Julian calendar year. We need release from the past 11 months of built up whatever and a somewhat cleaned slate to start the new year on. So whatever your reason for the season, eat an almond cookie and twerk sum’n for Jesus. Or Santa Claus. Whatever.