Kirk Franklin may be a renowned songwriter known for proclaiming his love of the Lord, but the Grammy Award-winner has not shied away from speaking candidly about his flaws. From publicly addressing his personal struggles to disclosing the estranged relationship he briefly shared with his late father, Franklin celebrates his many imperfections.

During a recent chat with EBONY, Franklin offered encouragement to those swayed by prominent church leaders who have come under fire for their personal behavior. The Long Live Love crooner said, "I think the best example I can say is everybody has had cold fries once in their lives from McDonald’s and it didn’t stop them from going back."

He added, "But like you still go back after that cold french fry, keep going back because it’s a hospital full of patients and everybody’s got some type of sickness and all of us need the doctor."

Franklin opened up about how he deals with being such a public figure struggling with personal battles. He said, “I prefer being flawed and I prefer being seen flawed. I celebrate my weaknesses."

Late last summer, the songwriter revealed his birth father, who abandoned him as a child, had three to six months to live. Several months later, his father passed away. Franklin shared how he's been reconciling with his father's death.

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"I’m still going through that process now. Just because I love Jesus don’t make it magic," he said. "I’m still going through it now. Remember, I’m still trying to mourn a man I never knew. It’s a real process for me and I don’t have all the answers and I’m OK with saying I don’t have all the answers."