If were honest well admit that interest in the Oscars has somewhat waned over recent years therefore Slapgate, though a distraction from the essence of the awards, did help garner a lot of buzz around the event.

The disturbing visual of Will Smith rucking up to the stage and slapping comedian Chris Rock led to the Oscars trending on social media, with many confessing that they would not have known the Oscars had aired if not for Slapgate.

Understandably mainstream media have zoned in on the lead up to, and the mighty slap, but surely within the world of Christian media the story should not end with the slap nor Smith's err? What if we shone the light on the heart-warming image of two celebrated Christian men lovingly executing their christian duty of encouraging a brother during a humiliating public low moment.

The image of Tyler Perry and Denzel Washington seemingly comforting a crestfallen Smith was a teachable moment for the body of Christ. Christian media platforms have been choked with news of scandals, leading to a lot of mudslinging on social media.

The bible is full of scriptures imploring us to be our brothers keeper, to gently restore the brother overtaken by trespass and to go out of our way to help another just as the Good Samaritan did, but many of us have a long way to go in the practical application of all this. Exhibit A; a quick twitter search on Brian Houston will return harsh responses to his recent resignation announcement.

This week, lets take a leaf out of Tyler and Denzels book. Lets rally around our wounded soldiers, uplift them with our words, encourage them with our presence, and cover them with our prayers.

That's your charge for the week....

Written by Akosua DF, Premier Gospel Presenter

Friday, 1 April 2022

Undoubtedly the biggest story this week was the Oscar slap, the sound of which seemed to have resounded across the globe. Even within the Christian community the story managed to overshadow Maverick City Music's historic Grammy performance announcement.