I’ve been around long enough to remember back when Bob Dylan was a Christian. It was during my early teen years when news swept through schools and churches across the Western world that America’s greatest balladeer had left Judaism to follow Jesus. While some encouraged caution saying, “Let’s give this a little time,” many more Christians happily jumped onto the Dylan bandwagon. For a brief moment, Dylan was the belle of the Christian ball. He released three albums during his Jesus-believing sojourn with only his first, Slow Train Coming, receiving any commercial or critical success. Then, by 1982, it was all over.

When Dylan’s brush with Christianity ended, I was still two years away from finding the Lord myself. So I watched the events from the outside looking in. I remember the sadness and disillusionment of those who had celebrated so greatly Dylan’s conversion. I remember also the taunts of “I told you so” that came from both outside and inside the church. It seems that there are so few big names in music or television or the movies who believe in Jesus, the Christian community tends to go a little crazy when a new proclamation of faith surfaces. If exhibit A is Bob Dylan, exhibit B is Kanye West.

Earlier this year, something changed in Kanye’s life. A spiritual journey of many years finally came to fruition. He now proclaims himself to be a changed man—a proud follower of Jesus Christ. At the end of October, he released his first gospel album, Jesus Is King. While many in the church are celebrating the radical change in Kanye’s life, it appears that this time around many more are taking the wait and see approach. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I, however, am firmly in the celebration camp. I don’t know the man. I don’t know his heart. All I can do is listen to his words and look at his life. And everything I am seeing right now causes me to say, “Praise the Lord, great things He has done!”

I love the fifteenth chapter of Luke. Jesus has a group of tax collectors and sinners gathered around Him, excited to hear His words. Meanwhile, the Pharisees and teachers of the law are grumbling about the sketchy company that Jesus is keeping. In response, Jesus tells three parables that all end a similar way. First, a shepherd has a hundred sheep. He loses one and leaves the other ninety-nine to find the lost lamb. When he does, he throws a celebration party. Jesus says, “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent” (Luke 15:7). The second parable follows the same basic plot, only this time it is a woman who loses, then finds a silver coin. Jesus concludes this story, saying, “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10).

Finally there is the story of a young prodigal who leaves his father’s house with his inheritance, which he then proceeds to squander engaging in all the typical young-man-money-squandering activities. When the cash is gone, he finds himself in a hopeless situation. He decides his best option is to return home to beg a servant’s job from his father. But when Dad sees his boy coming up the road, he runs to him and embraces him. He throws a big party to celebrate the return of his son. When the older son complains about the celebration, Dad says, “My son . . . you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found” (Luke 15:31-32).

We have too many older brothers in the church today. There are too many who would say to the celebrating angels, “Hey, guys, you may want to slow it down a bit. Maybe give it a few months or a few years to see whether this salvation thing really takes.” I prefer to join in the celebration. Is it possible that this whole Kanye Christianity thing is some strange marketing ploy? Sure. Could it be that down the line this newfound faith of his may collapse in a smoldering heap? Of course. But is it also in the realm of possibility that Kanye West has had a divine encounter with the Savior which has profoundly changed him inside and out, and that now his greatest desire is to use his enormous platform to share Christ with the world? You bet. In fact, I’d bypass possibility and put it squarely in the realm of probability. So rather than hemming and hawing and withholding our rejoicing until Kanye has proven himself to our saintly satisfaction, let’s join in the angelic party praising God for His grace and mercy in the life of this man. And let’s commit to lifting him up in prayer, knowing that the world and the devil are going to do all they can to bring down our new brother in Christ.

—Joel