Eminem: He went to a gathering of believers seeking help, but instead, they asked him for an autograph.

Introduction

In 2017, while I was studying at the university, a pastor named Dezire Habyalimana once said, “I went into the world and found no church, but when I went into the church, I found the world.” I am also fearful that if the church’s responsibilities in the world are lacking, in the future, Christianity will become more of a name than a way of life. Charles Spurgeon once said that a time will come when pastors will feed their sheep, but the flock will be filled with entertainers and comedians rather than shepherds.

I am not writing this to condemn those who read it or the leaders and the church in general. Rather, I am writing to remind church members that we have a duty to submit to the Holy Spirit to guide our lives. I also write to shame those who call themselves believers but act like the world and fail to fulfill their calling.

Why Did Eminem Go Seeking Help in Church?

His birth name is Matthew Hughes, known as Matayo. If you are reading this, you may be familiar with this artist who is renowned for his angry genre of music (Hip-Hop) from America. Some believers still listen to his music directly, despite disapproval from fellow believers due to its secular nature.

I am not writing this to promote him.

Eminem is one of the popular artists in secular music, achieving fame since around 1996 and continues to win major awards globally for his musical talent. This fame, along with other life challenges, led him into severe drug addiction.

According to information from Wikipedia about his personal life, particularly regarding health problems, it is reported that he used heavy drugs that caused him to sleep only two hours at a time. Due to this addiction, he once collapsed in the bathroom and was taken to the hospital, where he was told he had only two hours to live. Fortunately, he survived.

Eminem Seeks Help at the Church

Realizing that drugs were destroying his life, he began attending church services, believing that it was the place where he could find help and overcome his addiction. On one occasion, when he came to the church, many Christians, because of his fame, asked for his autograph rather than focusing on his needs. After realizing that he did not find the help he sought, he left the church and sought treatment from rehabilitation centers for drug addiction.

Why Was This Story Written?

This story is not written to promote Eminem but to remind the church that it should not be mixing with the world (world in the church). Rather, the church has a duty to transform the world (church in the world), and this is only possible if the church prays for the leaders to be appointed by the Holy Spirit.

I am convinced that the world has many patients like Eminem (Matthew 9:12), and their only solace is in Jesus. However, I am saddened that the church is not ready to provide the remedy for their ailments but is focused on things they were not called for. Eminem’s visit to scientific rehabilitation centers is not to be condemned as they are also given their gifts by God. However, I do criticize the church for lacking someone with the wisdom (1 Corinthians 6:5) to understand what someone like him needs and how to help them. What happened is a lesson showing that some church members are more interested in seeking autographs rather than fulfilling their calling.

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17). Jesus is the head of the church, and He only asks us to follow Him (Philippians 2:5). This is evidence that those who are led often resemble their leaders, so it is important to pray for God to appoint leaders according to His calling, who will lead without jealousy of potential successors. Therefore, “Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities” (Isaiah 54:2-3).