I’ve stopped watching American Idol. I was a faithful viewer for several seasons as I grew to really appreciate the stories of the artists who would get up and try to achieve a dream. The idea of “giving people a shot” is really captivating and can be really great tv. I stopped watching though because other shows began telling and sharing better stories. When certain personalities left the show, my attention also left – it just didn’t grip me like before.
For me, the most difficult part of the show was always the first several weeks. Generally that’s when Idol grabbed it’s viewers attention by putting up a line of contrasting performers. A good portion of these folks were train wrecks! For every 2 or 3 horrible or not quite good enoughs, there would be one that was pure talent. I hated those weeks! The sounds that some of the contestants made was horrible – it was painful – I would find excuses to leave the living room and bury my head in pillows, put on earphones or whatever I could do to drown out the noise.
It’s not that the stories of these people weren’t compelling, in some cases I really felt bad for some folks. What bothered me was the dissonance of what came out of their mouths. Minor chords can be a really gripping moment in a piece of music, but when the whole thing is minor or off-key, or a mixture of the two – then it’s just painful.
I’ve been reading a fantastic book by Len Sweet about the renewal of the dream that’s called Methodism. The book, The Greatest Story Never Told, is a push, for Methodists in particular, to recover what our founder, John Wesley, left us in dreams and visions for the church. It’s an invitation to Christians of all backgrounds to see that renewal and rebirth is a possibility. Sweet says that there are things missing in our Methodism and the church that are keeping us from experiencing this renewal. These missing pieces invite followers of Jesus to engage in a community that can truly offer a transformative experience for the world around us.
The first of these missing pieces is the recognition of the sounds that we are living. Some of the noises we are producing are just plain awful! Some are a melody that cause folks to break down and find hope. Some of the sounds are just noise – they’re non-stop noises that can overwhelm and deaden us to the good sounds that are out there.
What sounds are we producing? Often times, I get caught up in conversations and encounters that offer me a choice – what will I add to this musical soundtrack? Will I add dissonance and make the sound harsh to the world around me? Or, will I instead insert non-anxious, calming or even strong notes that will bring life and make the jingle turn into a symphony? Of course there’s a third choice – will I add a pause? Sometimes the music needs a rest – a measure of breathe.
I pray that we take some time to listen. What are the tunes in your heart? Is there a lot of dissonance? Maybe it’s time to let some different music in or maybe it’s time for a rest? If the tune you’re playing has lost some of it’s zip or it’s intention, maybe it’s time to let some other tunes play in and challenge you to tune up? Whatever the case, I pray that we all will take some time to be aware of what we’re sending out into the world around us – may our lives add to the beauty of God’s symphony instead of being clanging gongs of noise.
How is it with your soul song today?
Grace and Peace