It started with a miracle.

It escalated with a vasectomy joke.
It ended (for now) with an apology and a new collaboration.

The Forrest Frank / Cory Asbury saga might be the most unexpected Christian music storyline of the year — but it also says a lot about us as believers.

Since the release of his first overtly Christian song, No Longer Bound, Forrest Frank — formerly known as the frontman of Sunday Best duo SURFACES — has been on an undeniable generational run. His last two albums, CHILD OF GODand CHILD OF GOD II, have each spawned hit after hit, accompanied by two sold-out tours, hundreds of viral videos, and a few extremely popular dance trends. His trap-rooted production, joyful lyrics, and unmatched marketing ability have appealed to the masses, bringing a new sound to Christian households across the world and nation.

Although Cory Asbury is similarly a household name in many Christian circles, this worship leader turned country-folk singer-songwriter has had a wildly different journey in the public limelight. After many successful hits with Bethel Music and as a solo artist, Cory’s song Reckless Love brought heavy criticism online, full of claims that the song (and the artist himself) was heretical for calling God’s love reckless. After a long season of wrestling with his place in the Church, Cory stepped back from Bethel, moved to Nashville, and has since released multiple country-leaning records and recent singles that remain steeped in the truth and love of the Gospel but carry a less overtly CCM sound. It’s also worth noting that since the Reckless Love backlash, Cory has leaned into controversy and humor in his content, often calling out hypocrisy in the Church through TikToks and Instagram posts designed to pull people in — and occasionally offend them out of their cultural, comfortable Christianity.

“God’s Got My Back”

Now that we’ve set the scene of who these two artists are, let’s get to where this whole thing really started — when Forrest had a tragic skateboarding accident that left him bedridden and in significant pain. Frank kept fans updated online about the journey, including his choice to use the time to write a new song called God’s Got My Back, about God’s faithfulness in hard moments like this. To me, the song is pretty corny, but also a really fun, tongue-in-cheek way of glorifying God in a hard situation.

Following the release, Forrest posted a video laying out a miracle: his back was miraculously healed, and he was able to walk without pain again. I’m going to give Frank (and God) the benefit of the doubt and assume that this was a true miracle and not a social media stunt — and I want to acknowledge how amazing that is! Praise God for being a living and active God who sees our pain and, occasionally, chooses to step in and heal in His perfect timing.

“LEMONADE!” and “The Rock!” +

Following this miraculous healing, Forrest put the moment to work by releasing more songs about God’s healing power. He hopped on a track originally written by indie Christian duo The Figs for his hit LEMONADE!, which has since gone viral in Christian circles. He followed that up with a series of videos about an injury sustained by worship legend Crowder, and a song called The Rock! with Crowder about that whole incident. In the midst of that, Forrest also released a song called Selah — actually my favorite track he’s dropped during this whole ordeal.

Untitled Vasectomy Song

This is where the situation gets (more) crazy. As mentioned above, Cory Asbury has recently leaned into being a contrarian (this is one of my favorite words — look it up if you don’t know it). In line with this streak of funny and occasionally over-the-line content, Cory saw an opportunity to bring engagement to his socials by making a parody of the whole injury-turned-trap-hit thing Forrest had been doing. He posted a reel with an intentionally terrible song about his recent vasectomy (if you don’t know what this is, ask your parents).

As you’ve probably seen, the video sparked a wave of backlash over its questionable subject matter and the perception that Cory was “making fun” of Forrest’s situation. Personally, when I saw it, I watched the whole thing, laughed at the absurdity, and kept scrolling. Not one part of me thought it was an attack on Forrest or an attempt to belittle his injury. People may disagree with that take, but as someone who has followed Cory’s content and music — and picked up on his genuine love for the Church and what God is doing — I never assumed malicious intent. If you disagree with that read, you’re entitled to your own opinion. I’m just sharing how it came across to me.

Forrest’s Response, “Misunderstood,” and the Backlash

Things heightened earlier this week when Forrest posted a response video to Cory’s vasectomy bit. In it, he watched a few seconds, paused, shook his head, and expressed hurt and frustration about the video and similar posts that “made fun” of the whole situation. He explained that the back injury was deeply traumatic for him and his family, and that he sees every video people make about it. From there, he launched into a monologue about the power of social media and the lack of restraints on these platforms — which I actually appreciated. He ended by inviting Asbury to join him on a song about being misunderstood, just like Jesus was.

This video felt a little odd to me, since I don’t think Cory’s post was meant to be hurtful, but I appreciated the honesty Forrest shared.

What came next was both fascinating and deeply saddening. In the comments on Forrest’s video, Cory’s video, and even a post I made opening space for discussion, I saw hundreds of comments attacking Cory — calling him names, demanding boycotts of his music. Not every comment was like this, but a large portion were quick to attack and tear him down, even after Forrest had set the stage for forgiveness. Watching those comments stream in all day was heavy. So many Christians’ default response to disagreement was hate and rage in the comments section.

To those people: you should be ashamed. That wasn’t Christlike love — it was Pharisaical hatred. I want to believe it’s just a vocal minority, but if that’s how even a portion of God’s people responds, large-scale repentance is needed.

Cory’s Response

That night, Cory posted a video on his own page, responding and apologizing to Forrest. He explained that his upbringing conditioned him to use humor as a coping mechanism. That doesn’t excuse the video, but it explains where it came from. Cory re-introduced himself as the deep, intentional songwriter I already knew him to be, and even gave his verse for the Misunderstood song. The situation was resolved, and I’m sure the song will be out Friday (though as of writing, it hasn’t been announced).

Closing Thoughts

This whole situation was an emotional rollercoaster: thankfulness for God’s healing power, shock and amusement at Cory’s video, compassion at Forrest’s response, grief at the comments, and thankfulness again at the resolution.

There are plenty of takeaways, but I think my conclusion is the same one Forrest and Cory reached: people need to be far slower to throw stones, and far quicker to show compassion and try to understand each other. Those comment sections were disgusting and heartbreaking to read. Yes, Cory’s video was arguably inappropriate and evidently hurtful, but that in no way justifies the attacks against him.

Anyone who follows Cory’s music knows he loves the Lord and didn’t intend harm. Even if he had, that still wouldn’t justify what people were saying about him. Every human is made in the image of God and deserves compassion. Every Christian is called to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. And every follower of Christ carries the burden of representing His love to the world. That’s not what I saw.

Hopefully, this situation helps people recognize the dysfunction that’s seeped into our culture. When something similar happens, I hope we’ll see comment sections filled with nuance, compassion, and a desire to understand. That might be too much to ask — but a man can dream.

At least, in the meantime, we can all vibe to a new Forrest Frank and Cory Asbury song soon.