When a parody crossed a line, Christian artists Forrest Frank and Cory Asbury could have spiralled into public drama. Instead, they chose humility, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Billy Hallowell explores how their turn from tension to friendship offers a powerful example of grace in an age that craves confrontation
The Bible tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, but what this looks like and how we live it out in practice can pose a true challenge to our faith.
Of course, many of us often deal with far more benign situations consisting of offenses from people we don’t necessarily see as enemies, but who might deeply offend us.
Sometimes, we err in how we respond. And, unfortunately, the chaos and furor inspired by social media can further cloud our ability to interact with the grace and kindness to which we’re called. At the very least, there’s a proclivity toward argumentation and anger on social media, especially when we don’t personally know the opposing party.
This is why there’s a great deal we can learn from the recent back-and-forth between Christian singers Forrest Frank and Cory Asbury. The two took a situation that could have publicly devolved and offered a powerful example to us all.
A parody turned problem
It all started after Frank made headlines earlier this summer with a viral video showing him falling off a skateboard and fracturing his L3 and L4 vertebrae. Just days later, the bedridden performer released ‘God’s Got My Back’ and ‘Lemonade’ — songs inspired by his injury.
The tunes went viral even as Frank remained seriously injured, and then something else happened. Frank suddenly experienced what he said was a miraculous healing.
It was a pretty incredible story of resilience and God working miracles. All of it was centre stage as the music he made inspired millions, with his healing piquing quite a bit of interest.
That’s when Asbury came into the picture. The ‘Reckless Love’ singer, playing off Frank’s musical success during his injury, made a parody about a vasectomy — a quip mirroring Frank’s medical journey.
Unfortunately for Asbury, Frank wasn’t too happy about the comedic effort, so he released a video response explaining why it didn’t “feel awesome to see”.
“Um, man, this is super tough,” Frank said. “I know y’all are gonna be like ‘Forrest, you’re way too sensitive,’ but this is like, the tenth, or even the 20th post I have seen from another Christian artist making fun of probably the most traumatic moment of my life [and] my wife’s life.”
Now, at that point, the back-and-forth could have quickly gone south. Frank made it clear he knew he was sensitive about the situation, but was clearly upset enough to publicly comment. Rather than a deeper spat, though, Asbury and Frank proceeded with public actions that showed not only an apologetic posture, but forgiveness, restoration — and friendship.
The key ingredient driving these interactions was humility.
From conflict to collaboration
Frank decided to extend an invitation to Asbury to collaborate on a song with him called ‘Misunderstood’. And Asbury, for his part, rapidly apologised, proclaiming that he never intended to mock the trauma Frank faced and took Frank up on the offer to collaborate.
What’s more, Frank, clearly moved by the apology, in turn, thanked Asbury for his posture, and explained that he was struck by how many people on social media were telling Asbury he was “the worst” for his vasectomy video.
The tough critique of Asbury seemed to bother Frank, who subsequently revealed that he had gotten to know Asbury’s personal story since his initial video reaction and that it had a deep impact on him.
“I’ve gotten to hear this guy’s story, and within a few seconds, I felt resolution,” Frank said, revealing they spoke on the phone. “You know, ten - 15 minutes, I’m like, I think I have a new best friend.”
Frank, tearing up, said he loves Asbury and now considers him a friend.
The entire ordeal is, on a broad scale, a minor mishap, yet the lessons we can discern are quite grand. Notably, Frank made a decision to confront what was upsetting him — and Asbury, upon seeing he had caused offense, quickly apologised.
Even then, Frank could have operated from a place of pride or offered a distant act of forgiveness. Instead, the two hopped on a phone call, spoke and built a relationship based on respect and common ground. They then made the decision to openly share their relationship.
The key ingredient driving these interactions was humility. Philippians 2:3 (NIV) tells us, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.”
In a world dominated by emotion and the attention social media brings, these sentiments are difficult. Frank, above all else, not only forgave, but he elevated Asbury above himself as he sought to openly understand his story and vulnerably reveal how he felt throughout the ordeal.
In the end, the performers offer us a path forward when we find ourselves offended, saddened, or frustrated by the actions of others. Choosing attempts at restoration and grace above all else — even when we don’t want to — is the best, most biblical path forward.
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