Wednesday
Apr222009
Susan Boyle
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 at 5:01PM
In Sunday's message I referenced the Susan Boyle video (now viewed nearly 40 million times on YouTube). Some of you said that you still have not seen it. You can watch it by clicking here. I can't embed it. You can also click here to read an interesting commentary by a Catholic priest named James Martin on the world's fascination with her. There's also this take on it from our local paper.
The two views aren't mutually exclusive. It's probably a little bit of both. It got me to wondering why I enjoyed seeing Mrs. Boyle do so well. Part of it is the relief I feel at seeing disaster averted. My son occasionally hides his eyes when he sees a character on TV about to get in trouble or be embarrassed. That's how we feel when someone like Susan Boyle comes on stage. It's like there's a voice that says, "Stop her before she makes a fool of herself!"
Imagine our surprise, our relief, our elation, when she's not pathetic but glorious. It's the surprise that gets our attention.
I agree with Fr. Martin. Perhaps we are drawn to this performance because it is a reminder of God's power to do the same. To see the glorious in the mundane. It's the great reversal that Jesus delights in pointing out, where the least of society (lepers, "sinners," tax collectors, Samaritans) end up being the heroes.
Do we not have the same hope for ourselves? What do you think?
The two views aren't mutually exclusive. It's probably a little bit of both. It got me to wondering why I enjoyed seeing Mrs. Boyle do so well. Part of it is the relief I feel at seeing disaster averted. My son occasionally hides his eyes when he sees a character on TV about to get in trouble or be embarrassed. That's how we feel when someone like Susan Boyle comes on stage. It's like there's a voice that says, "Stop her before she makes a fool of herself!"
Imagine our surprise, our relief, our elation, when she's not pathetic but glorious. It's the surprise that gets our attention.
I agree with Fr. Martin. Perhaps we are drawn to this performance because it is a reminder of God's power to do the same. To see the glorious in the mundane. It's the great reversal that Jesus delights in pointing out, where the least of society (lepers, "sinners," tax collectors, Samaritans) end up being the heroes.
Do we not have the same hope for ourselves? What do you think?
tagged TV in Amen Corner, Blog
TV in Amen Corner, Blog
Reader Comments (3)
I saw Susan Boyle a few days ago , before the phenomenum began, and felt the same tension, the fear that she would fail and also the fascination at the "trainwreck" she could become. Like slowing to look at an accident on the freeway. This makes me think of grace. We are all trainwrecks; we all fail, sometimes spectacularly. Fortunately, with God we are more than conquerors, we are winners...and it's supremely more important and lasting than the British version of American Idol.
Her performance made me think of how we are "cracked pots" or "jars of clay". What's inside can be so different than the exterior.
That is why Gideon has always been one of my favorite people in the Bible. God comes to him and calls him a might warrior and he's got every reason in the world why he is not. "I'm the least of the least of the least."
Then God doesn't even let him take a decent army into battle. He sends almost the whole bunch home. It's not just about making beauty out of what is ugly or strength out of weakness...it is about making sure that we have no doubt that God is the one taking the action. That he is the one with the real power and might. I'm just what Kay said, a jar of clay.
So I don't worry any more about how inadequate I am (and I'm very inadequate) because God seems to love using the inadequate to show his power and love.