Afterward, as he wondered why he could not go through with it, part of him questioned his manhood. “It was embarrassing.”
Yet another, more mature part of him wondered what was actually going on in that moment. Now, he realizes the girl was objectifying herself, not seeing her own worth, and he was “cosigning” her point of view.
Lecrae said he understands that many women feel they have to objectify themselves simply to survive. “My heart goes out to young women like that,” he said.
The Bible, however, presents a view of the human body that stands in stark contrast to what we often encounter in culture. “In the Bible,” said Lecrae, “a temple is a holy, incredible place that only the priest is allowed to go in, and if the priest wasn’t right, he would die once he entered.”
“I always want to remind my daughter,” said the artist, “your body’s a temple. Don’t let anybody just enter there.”
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Lecrae said the story of his encounter with a prostitute shows that “people are valuable, it demonstrates that people have worth, and we’re more than our bodies.”
In response to the question of whether it is hard on his wife to hear stories like this one, Lecrae said, “My wife is one of the most gracious people I know. If there’s ever a personification of grace and love, it’s her.” She has been able to see him as a new person in Christ “and not as damaged goods.”
“I do not deserve her at all,” Lecrae said. He encouraged couples to be truthful and authentic with each other, despite the risk they take in doing so. It’s important for people to face the consequences of their actions, and even if they get rejected, Jesus will not reject them. “You’re not your failures,” said the artist.
During the rest of the episode, Lecrae reflected on the vision of masculinity he received as he was growing up, as well as his experience being part of a minority culture in the United States. You can listen to the entire episode below:
