This post is about Jamila Woods, Individualism, and Community

A little while back I posted on facebook what will likely be my favorite Tiny Desk Concert of the year: Jamila Woods:

Her performance here, and the musicians with her, are just supreme, and beautiful.
I especially love her performance of Holy.

I had been listening to that song quite a bit, and mentioned to K when I was showing her this Tiny Desk Concert how it sort of felt like the anthem to my life, especially the refrain, "I'm not lonely, I'm alone." I like being alone, and it certainly doesn't feel lonely to be alone, and I often look forward to my opportunities to spend time by myself, just doing whatever.
But while we were listening to it, she said that, while she loves listening to the song, she just doesn't quite agree with it. At first I wanted to protest, "But it is saying that it can be enjoyable to spend time alone!" However, the more I critically listened to it, I realized that she was right, that Woods is saying not that she can spend time alone and be happy, but that she doesn't need other people ("I'm holy by my own").
Now, it must be noted that she is writing this song from a perspective of black feminism. Women, especially black women, have been oppressed in America, told they aren't good enough, and had things withheld from them that they don't deserve to have had withheld. We need voices, like Wood's, to remind black women, and young black girls especially, to wake up "with my mind set on loving me." To remind them that they are good enough. To remind them that they are not powerless. That they can make a difference in this world. That they are made in the image of the Creator. The first song in the set, Blk Girl Magic, especially speaks to that and it is important. In that sense, I don't disagree with Woods. But I do disagree that we can get through this life without each other. We are not "holy" on our own. We are holy in community. We cannot get through this life without our brothers and sisters in Christ. We were made for relationship, not made for perfecting our individual selves, but growing up into unity under Christ.
With my disclaimer out of the way (which will probably be the longest part of it, haha), here goes the meat of this post:
For one, she starts her song (embedded at the bottom) with the words, "Give me today my daily bread." An astute observer will quickly notice that this is not how the Lord's prayer goes, which she is quoting, but it instead reads "Give us today our daily bread." In changing it the way she does, she's implying that all we need is ourselves, while Jesus taught us to pray in a way that implies the importance of our community around us. She says next, "help me to walk alone ahead." Which is creative. I like that. But from a Christian perspective, we need to walk the road ahead with our brothers and sisters in Christ at our side, supporting each other, and being "joined and held together by every supporting ligament."
Our culture is constantly telling us that our goal in life is to do what pleases us, "you do you, boo boo." Actively working against the beauty of a unified relationship. Actively working against the kingdom of God, a kingdom that is not just within us, although that is especially true, but is also among us. It has "come near," as Jesus says. Where two or three are gathered, Christ is with them. Culture is working against this because of all the ways that the beauty of relationship has been broken. We are a nation of broken families and broken hearts, so individualism is attractive because it diminishes the possibilities of that brokenness happening. But, as Christians with the message of reconciled relationships, with God and with each other, we can be unified under Christ, showing the beauty of relationship as God intended, and inviting others in to experience that relationship.

All in all, it's important to remember the refrain from Hollow Cove's We Will Run - "We will run to a place we can go as one." We will run to the feet of Jesus, as one unified body, encouraging each other and growing up into Christ, who is the head.





Of course, Hollow Coves' album title is Wanderlust, which is something else our culture encourages us towards that Christians should fight against (you know, not worrying about traveling the world, but focusing on making disciples, because there will one day be a renewed earth), but that is a topic for another post.

Grace and peace.