Here’s what I like about the kingdom of heaven on earth: You can be totally who you are and be totally accepted.

Marti and I are going to do something Wednesday evening at Isaiah House that we would clearly never do in any other kingdom on earth. We’re going to sing together. Remember “Coming Home” by the rap group Diddy-Dirty Money featuring Skylar Grey that we featured here a couple weeks ago? Well, I located a background track and we’re going to perform that song together for the women of Isaiah House.

Now you have to realize the significance of this. Marti can’t sing and I can’t rap. And yet we’re going to do this. We wanted to conclude our “fashion show” with this song because it’s so perfect for everyone there, but we know we can’t just play it for them. We can’t get a group of people to sit and listen to a song without a visual focus like a video, but we have no screen large enough for that. That’s when Marti shocked me by suggesting we do it together.

I initially objected. That’s because my first response to virtually anything new is “No, can’t do that.” And Marti’s response is “And why not?”

“We have to have the music behind us; I’m sure they don’t have a background track available.”

“Well, have you tried?”

“No.” So to humor her I tried, and guess what I found? Instrumental tracks to the song. There’s one down.

“Well I can’t rap and you can’t sing.”

“So, we’ll do it anyway. You’re the performer. If I can sing, certainly you can rap.”

The real answer is: we can’t do this but we’re going to do this anyway. If I stop to think about this at all, I come to the same conclusion. I’ve basically made a fool of myself every month in front of this group. If I can “dance” like Fred Astair, I can certainly “rap” like Sean Combs. But why? Why would I attempt these things with this group and not someone else?

Because these are people who don’t care if you don’t get it right. They just love that you try. You can’t humiliate yourself in front of these women because they’ve all been humiliated. Perfect performances don’t matter. Being there matters. As a matter of fact, all the things that matter in the kingdom of heaven matter in this group – things like love, acceptance, forgiveness, mercy, faith, hope… I mean… what else is there? No one’s going to impress anyone in heaven – at least any more than anyone else; we’re just going to all be impressed by God and equally impressed with each other.

Really… Marti doesn’t even sing in church. But she’d sing at the Isaiah House. What does that tell you about the kingdom of heaven on earth?

[We can still use your contributions towards undergarment gift cards, just indicate your gift is for Operation Runway. Also, I’m going to include the lyrics to “Coming Home” below. If you’re not used to listening to hip hop, you’ll probably miss a lot. You can also hear the song and see the video by going to our website and scrolling down to June 1.]

Coming Home

[Chorus]
I’m coming home
I’m coming home
tell the World I’m coming home
Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday
I know my kingdom awaits and they’ve forgiven my mistakes
I’m coming home, I’m coming home
tell the World that I’m coming

Back where I belong, yeah I never felt so strong
(I’m back baby)
I feel like there’s nothing that I can’t try
and if you with me put your hands high
(put your hands high)
If you ever lost a light before, this ones for you
and you, the dreams are for you

I hear “The Tears of a Clown”
I hate that song
I always feel like they talking to me when it comes on
another day another Dawn
another Keisha, nice to meet ya, get the math I’m gone
what am I s’posed to do when the club lights come on
its easy to be Puff, its harder to be Sean
what if the twins ask why I aint marry their mom (why, d–n!)
how do I respond?
what if my son stares with a face like my own
and says he wants to be like me when he’s grown
s–t! But I aint finished growing
another night the inevitible prolongs
another day another Dawn
just tell Keisha and Teresa I’ll be better in the morn’
another lie that I carry on
I need to get back to the place I belong

[Chorus]

[Verse 2]
“A house is Not a Home”, I hate this song
is a house really a home when your loved ones are gone
and niggas got the nerve to blame you for it
and you know you woulda took the bullet if you saw it
but you felt it and still feel it
and money can’t make up for it or conceal it
but you deal with it and you keep ballin’
pour out some liquor, play ball and we keep ballin’
baby we’ve been living in sin ’cause we’ve been really in love
but we’ve been living as friends
so you’ve been a guest in your own home
it’s time to make your house your home
pick up your phone, come on

[Chorus]

[Verse 3]
“Ain’t No Stopping Us Now”, I love that song
whenever it comes on it makes me feel strong
I thought I told y’all that we won’t stop
we back cruising through Harlem, these old blocks
it’s what made me, saved me, drove me crazy
drove me away then embraced me
forgave me for all of my shortcomings
welcome to my homecoming
yeah it’s been a long time coming
lot of fights, lot of scars, lot of bottles
lot of cars, lot of ups, lot of downs
made it back, lost my dog (I miss you BIG)
and here I stand, a better man! (a better man)
Thank you Lord (Thank you Lord)

[Chorus]