Beyonce's pastor Rudy Rasmus: Having Beyonce and Solange sing in church choir was 'neatest thing'
Beyoncé's pastor, Rudy Rasmus, is currently promoting his new book, "Love. Period.: When All Else Fails," which discusses how to elevate one's need to love and be loved.
Rasmus described how the example of God's love should be an example to love others without questions, expectations, or conditions.
The St. John's United Methodist Church pastor said that all human beings, no matter their race, age, or socio-economic status, desire a loving relationship.
"The core human needs — and I have been all over the planet — but the core human need we encounter, from the streets of Calcutta to the plains of Zimbabwe, to a corner in Houston, Texas, is that not only do we need to be loved but to be accepted for who we are," he told The Tennessean.
"Unfortunately, it's one of the most difficult things a human being does because we are hard wired to see differences, to identify the stripes and the polka dots."
These differences create judgments, Rasmus said, and keep people from loving unconditionally.
"Many people punctuate their love for others based on commas, parentheses and question marks," he explained.
"But what happens when we decide to make our love for others limitless without the necessity to pause and question?
"What if I decide to say, I'm gonna accept you immediately, without judgment? When that happens, the miracle occurs."
The Houston pastor also discussed how Forbes' Most Powerful Celebrity, Beyoncé Knowles, became a member of his church.
"Thirty plus years ago, I met her mom and dad," he recounted. "They became friends of mine. When I was given an opportunity to start a church in downtown Houston, they were in our first group of members. So the daughters were little girls back when we started the church.
"Her parents knew there was something about her abilities. Along the way, she started singing, and periodically would sing in our choir. It was the neatest thing, every time she or Solange would sing, they would get compliments.
"Over the years, a few talent shows here and there, the church members became their fan base and would encourage them. Before our eyes, she became a huge success."
Pastor Rudy's book, "Love. Period.: When All Else Fails," is available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, and other physical and digital retailers.