The latest YouTube sensation is none other than a 47 year old single woman named Susan Boyle. The phenomenon has to be greater than her singing talents. She’s unquestionably talented but you can’t say her vocals alone warranted a record number of YouTube hits. If that were the case than someone like Andre Bochelli should also be at the top. So what’s the deal?
A lot of her success was about the triumph of the unattractive. She was mocked in the beginning for her ambitious desire to sound like a top musical star. But nobody would sneer if she were an attractive twenty-something woman. She wouldn’t be a story if she had covergirl looks. But something so beautiful came out of someone who was frankly not. A lot of people find Boyle inspirational because more people can relate with her than with Beyonce. We all inwardly rejoice in the weak triumphing over the strong.
This build-in paradigm and longing is a reflection for our deepest longings found in the gospel. In 1 Corinthians Paul writes, “26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards,not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are.”God’s triumphs by using the weak to shame the strong. God triumphs by using the ugly and marginalized to triumph over the outwardly beautiful and shallow.
The cross challenges our assumptions and values. It shows us the beauty of God’s upside-down wisdom. Out of death comes life. From the mouths of babes, God has ordained praise.
I was recently having a conversation with someone in our church about modern musical tastes. When I was growing up I saved all of my money to buy exactly one tape or CD a month. I listened to that album over and over until the songs were spinning in my head at all times. I only listened to one or two genres but I was absolutely devoted to it. These days if you ask anyone who grew up in the iPod generation about their musical tastes you’ll almost invariably get the answer, “a little bit of everything.” You’ll get people who listen to country, rock, rap, pop all the way down to indie music. In many ways this is wonderful. People now have more access to diverse streams of culture and knowledge than ever before. But is there a trade-off in all of this?
The trade-off to bredth is often depth. We are a little into a bit of everything but not entirely devoted to any one thing. This leads to what I would call the “Eclectic Life.” The Eclectic Life has a lot of different interests but zero passions. Our lives are filled with a little here, a little there, some friends you see occassionally, some fads that you chase whimsically until the next great thing comes along. The life eclectic has a ten minute attention span and probably didn’t finish reading this article. The eclectic life loves to skim but never to read. It has thoughts but no real ideas.
The great danger of the life eclectic is that it make spirituality almost impossible. Genuine spirituality is about the Devoted Life. Coming to Jesus involves a singular passion. Following Jesus requires an entire life-altering commitment that the Bible calls discipleship. Ministering in our culture requires us to call for people to make choices that will lead to passions. And ain’t nothing better than a life filled with genuine worthwhile passion.
Last night Nina and I got to visit the Nokia Theater to go see Kanye West in his “Glow in the Dark Tour.” I was telling Nina that I must be the only ordained minister going to the concert! Ministers don’t really listen to rap I’m assuming. But I’ve loved hip-hop from my teenage years (as my diminishing accent betrays).
First off the Nokia Theater is a wonderful venue. It’s super sleek, accessible and the acoustics are terrific. I would imagine that artists are going to start preferring to play at Nokia than the cavernous Staples Center right across from it. The concert attracted a lot of younger, early twenty-something people. I was surprised at the dearth of African Americans at the concert. They were far more white and asian people in attendance. It speaks to question of rising ticket prices and accessibility of tickets for the diverse demographics of Los Angeles.
The concert featured a few openers: Lupe Fiasco, NERD and Rhianna. They were alright butt their music doesn’t really appeal to me as much. It took a good TWO HOURS before Kanye finally took the stage. By that time many in attendance were intoxicated and anxious. Mr. West definitely didn’t disappoint. The concert was in the form of a “rock opera” where Kanye was aboard a spaceship that crashed in an unknown universe. His mission was to return home and provide entertainment for a universe that had lost its way.
What I admire about Kanye West is his ability to transcend the genre of rap. He takes a rap concert and makes it into theatre. He takes a genre that has devolved into violence, sex and drugs and transforms it musically and lyrically. He infuses a lot of his music with jazz, rock and classic and modern R&B. His last records includes a chorus by Coldplay. It’s not like this hasn’t been down before but it’s never been done to this level of excellence. He lyrics are not only clever but introspective. He realizes in his lyrics the personal contradictions that he feels with his success, frustrations and failures. Where modern hip-hop artists like Common can bring us back to the essence of hip-hop, Kanye shows his ability to at times transcend the genre. Even artistically he brings in the famed modern artist Murakami. It’s a perfect fit because Murakami explores the ideas of high and low art and merges into category defying whole. Many of West’s background sets recalled Murakami including a plastic doll that he talks to in the middle of the concert. Artistically West really breaks new ground for the rap genre.
Having said that of course West has his flaws and limitations. He’s worldview isn’t necessary Christian even though “Jesus Walks.” But he gives us an interesting glimpse into culture, class, human struggle, and the blending of different categories of art. But most of all I just think he’s a lot of fun.
