It sounds like country music star Morgan Wallen didn’t enjoy his time in New York City.
Wallen, the musical guest on “Saturday Night Live” last week, generated buzz after abruptly walking off stage during the show’s signoff. Instead of standing around and mingling with the cast, he briefly hugged host Mikey Madison before he walked in front of the camera and off the stage.
As an isolated incident, this could simply be chalked up to nerves or exhaustion. Instead, Wallen added fuel to the fire by posting an Instagram story from his private plane with the caption “Get me to God’s Country.”
“Variety” cited anonymous sources in Wallen’s sphere, saying he didn’t intend anything malicious by the exit or the post. But the singer, who hasn’t publicly weighed in on the controversy, is choosing to sell merch featuring the now viral phrase.
Wallen is allowed to feel however he wants about New York City. But the inevitable conclusion from his post, that New York isn’t part of “God’s country,” is ignorant at best.
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My Christian country roots are in the South, but I now live in NYC
I am a Southerner by birth and a New York City resident by choice. I spent most of my life in what Wallen would describe as “God’s country.”
Living in my small town – which happened to be the inspiration for Andy Griffith’s “Mayberry” – I spent my time with Christians. I was raised in the church and even served on my Presbyterian church’s session in high school. That’s not really surprising: in North Carolina, where I’m from, 69% of adults identify as Christian.
Despite Jesus’ teaching that “love thy neighbor” is one of the most important things Christians can do, there are plenty of Christians who are judgmental of those whom they deem “too sinful.” While I don’t want to put words in Wallen’s mouth, he wanted his followers to infer that New York City isn’t part of “God’s country.” That couldn’t be further from the truth. I wish I could know, though, what part of NYC upset him the most.
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In New York state, 57% of adults identify as Christian, with another 13% believing in a different religion. I’ve lived in three different Brooklyn neighborhoods and have always been walking distance from a church. Despite the city’s reputation as a place where the people are rude, I’ve felt love and compassion from many of the New Yorkers I’ve interacted with. In fact, I oftentimes feel more accepted here as a young queer person than I did back home.
While my home state has become increasingly intolerant through legislation and the courts, New York City residents have accepted me as I am, just as they would accept anyone else. I may have had a good support system back in liberal Durham, but I have found that my sexuality and gender are embraced by New York state instead of merely tolerated.
Wallen lives in Tennessee. Is that ‘God’s country’? Let’s take a look.
In Tennessee, Wallen’s home state, the Pew Research Center reports that 72% of adults are Christian. Religious beliefs have been used to justify denying same-sex couples the right to marry and ridding the government of “woke.”
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In the last few months alone, Tennessee has become increasingly hostile to transgender people, immigrants and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. If conservative Christians in Tennessee and other red states truly wanted to live the word of God, they would make their state a more tolerant place.
Wallen is widely successful. He has traveled the world for his music, and in 2024, his tour became the highest-grossing country tour of all time. “Billboard” has called him the “biggest country star of the decade.” He has been across the United States and should know that “God’s country” isn’t just limited to the South and certainly doesn’t exclude more liberal cities or states.
Longtime “SNL” cast member Kenan Thompson talked to “Entertainment Weekly” about Wallen’s diss, noting that the “God’s country” post also rubbed him the wrong way.
“The ‘God’s country’ of it all is strange because it’s like, what are you trying to say?” he said. “You trying to say that we are not in God’s country? We’re not all in God’s country? We’re not all under God’s umbrella? That’s not necessarily my favorite.”
Thompson’s assumption is a good take – we are all in “God’s country,” whether we live in a city or the country. I believe in the message I was taught as a child: that the job of Christians is to love everyone, regardless of race, sexuality, gender identity or immigration status. But I have learned, through Republican governmental action, that not everybody feels that way.
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