I have a confession to make: I was once a “Never Trumper.” Before my eyes were opened by God, I had little faith in the successful businessman and hotel-tycoon-turned politician. I judged Donald Trump based on what I thought I knew about his past, not by what God had planned for him and our nation.

I was also part of the “Never Kanye” camp. In my video The Mystery of Hip-Hop, I covered why faith and culture should never be intertwined.

On the surface, both Kanye West and President Trump are very different. But look more closely and you’ll see they are just as much the same. Some describe the two men as ego-driven celebrities. I say their common link has much to do with redemption.

When former Democrat Donald Trump announced his run for the 2016 election — under the Republican banner — the hip-hop world (which worshipped him as a sort of “wealth mogul”) would most certainly reject him.

Similarly, when Kanye announced his ideological revelation during one of his concerts, the audience responded in boos.

Both men experienced an enlightenment of some sort. And usually one can tell when a person sets foot on the right path because they traverse this new route with sticks and stones being thrown at them along the way.

Carrying the cross of their newfound convictions is heavy. Just ask those who have recently converted to conservative thought and they’ll agree. We hear stories and watch news coverage about fellow Americans being hit and assaulted simply for wearing a particular red hat with white words. Black families push themselves away from the dinner table as one relative decides to “come out” conservative. Mothers hate on their daughters because they won’t have an abortion. We look on as people — whose ideologies lie on the Left — reject their loved ones whose only crime was to think differently.

But with rejection comes redemption. When God lifts us out of our troubled, sinful ways, those who are steeped in the ways of the world are certain to revolt. But those who are being persecuted for their ideas are sure to rise up above the hate.

Right now, we are seeing both President Trump and Kanye being amplified by God to reach more hearts and convert people away from the Democrat Party. Meanwhile, those who hail from the Left are left without understanding what redemption means.

First, the Left is seen as the party of the youth. I’ve spent the better part of my educational career mentoring to young people. Not to mention I am the father of four future men. That said, young people are challenged by change. If raised improperly, adolescence can be prolonged throughout early adulthood when important life decisions should be made. These people then subscribe to left-wing ideologies because they haven’t quite “grown up.” They leave one dependent situation (being under their parents) and seek dependence again by voting for people who campaign on “free things,” education and healthcare at the top of this list of promises.

Sadly, a person like this will never know redemption until he or she realizes that dependency on others is not the way to true freedom. Until then, they are willfully enslaved by the state, and will hate those who are blessed with wealth.

Second, many on the Left hate to look righteousness in the face. As their friends and family members wake up to see conservatism as the best path, these leftists become resentful. Ultimately, this leaves them isolated, with only their numerous identities to keep them comfortable. They label everyone yet know not who they are.

Third, these leftists are scared of leaving their creature comforts behind them. They center themselves on what feels good and not what does good, as many popular conservatives state. Redemption isn’t a path that feels good for anyone who will reap the benefits of righteousness. To be redeemed is to leave one’s old life behind. The young and the immature fear this because it means they will have to give up the entitled life.

Even with all of this, they too can be redeemed and accept the blessings of a positive life led by God. A clean slate is waiting for each of us, as it was made available to both our president and Kanye. But the only way to reach this point of redemption is to do away with self-centeredness and loving worldly libations and to know God as the supreme ruler of our great Nation. No matter who is leading the Christian movement or sitting in the White House, the one great redeemer is there to guide us long after Trump and Kanye are gone.