Voices that are easy to identify haunt people who love to mimic things. Raise your hand if you have a friend who can imitate voices (It’s more fun if you physically participate and stop acting snooty). We all do. I have a friend who does a spot-on Scooby Doo. Another is the master of the Kermit the Frog voice. There are even some who’ve made careers out of imitating distinct voices (please Google “Frank Calienado” but be forewarned-if there are links to ‘deal with the devil’ or ‘sorcerer’, don’t say that I didn’t warn you).
Most impersonators are just hacks-myself included. However, I owned a home-burnt Creed CD back in the day (my apologies to Lars Ulrich, Metallica, and anyone within 10 feet of my truck) (THANK YOU, Napster!) and one may say that the voice of Scott Stapp is ‘unique’ (other adjectives include ‘excruciating’, ‘loathe-worthy’, ‘hardcore’, ‘isn’t that the guy from Nickel Back?’ and ‘I hated when Pearl Jam broke up’). Stapp’s voice had everything one would want who was in college during the late 90’s, early 2000’s: It has a unique tone, it was easy to attempt to mimic, it had loose contemporary Christian ties (What?!? You don’t want that? Heathen). Scott’s voice welcomed impersonators with arms wide open.
I still find myself singing in my Scott Stapp voice. Yesterday, I was singing the ‘Itsy Bitsy Spider’ to my two year old. It wasn’t enough to sing the song (complete with motions)-I channeled my inner-Creed (complete with air guitar riffs) and sang like the two of us were filming a music video (dang, I miss those).
The only problem (if, in 2013 you would call this a problem) is that I am not Scott Stapp. I am an inconsistent knockoff. My range is not there. My abilities fall short. My voice doesn’t quite get up the waterspout.
I have been around church the majority of my life. I have heard doctrines rich and poor. There are not many unturned pages in my Baptist hymnal. The arguments over the carpet, song-style, and other well-documented minutia are ingrained in my soul. If anything is for certain, we as Christians are good at disagreeing (Agree? Didn’t think so).
There is one phrase that has stood the test of time and, with the exception of outliers, seems to be a consistent part of what we as Christians say a lot. Yet the ramifications of the phrase and (maybe even more so) how it plays out day-to-day are a bit overwhelming and do nothing more than cause anyone with a brain to ask more questions.
Be Like Jesus. (How???)
You are the only Jesus someone may ever see. (Uh oh...)
Let others See Jesus in you. (When? Where?)
What Would Jesus Do? (Do people still wear those?)
These seems to be a phrase that is thrown around when we don’t know how to behave. The interpretation of it comes with a sandbag of conflicts. In our ever-so-well intended hearts, we believe we ‘show Jesus’ when:
- We cut someone with language that is infused with literal biblical truth and no literal biblical love.
- We overlook sin, grin, and nod because we have a misinformed grasp of grace
- We put on the robe and grab the gavel to point out the speck of sawdust in someone else’s life while ignoring the oak tree in our own
As anyone who has ever starred in a Passion play would attest to, ‘Being Jesus’ is tricky. Far too often, we satisfy ourselves with toss off cliche because we have not considered the immeasurable weight of the words.
Please do not misunderstand me. I do not want to the throw the baby out with the bathwater (Who does that? Where did the phrase even come from? Can you imagine the conversation? “Lucy, where is little Ricky?” “Well, I was giving him a bath and...”(insert well known Lucille Ball suprise face here). There is something to be said for Christ being present as you choose how to respond to your life situations. Are we asking questions like:
- Do we show the grace that Christ has shown us?
- Does that grace permeate our decision?
- Have we prayed?
- Did our prayer come more as an affirmation to our already made-up mind?
The presence of the sacrificed Messiah is with you as you live your life. He is not a genie in bottle waiting for you to let him out and prove that He exists. If I am the only Jesus someone sees, they are getting a pudgy distortion.
In your life situations, you are never Jesus. God knew that you could not be. If there was ever the ability to be Jesus, you would not need Jesus. He is with you (Did ‘Footprints in the Sand’ Teach you Nothing?!?) We need remind ourselves that the fields of opportunity that Jesus has given us are saturated by His Spirit alive, well, and at work. He isn’t going to ‘show up’. He is there. And those moments when you feel as if you are standing on the edge of the tallest branch in regards to the responsibilities of your faith, know that when you fall, land on the ground, and roll over, that you are still laying on the root of the same tree. How else can we say this?
- Jesus turned water into wine; He does not need your cheese platter...
- Jesus fed 5,000; He is not expecting you to show up with hush puppies and those little crunchy things from a cheap fish (I used that in the most general term) restaurant...
- He is the way, the truth, and the life; your GPS is not all that important to His direction...
Not to go all ‘Avatar’, but Jesus is here, there, and everywhere. He is in what we see as significant. He is in the mundane. He is glorious in your victories and no less than spectacular in spite of your failures.
You are not Jesus. You really need Him.
So respond like you know that you need Him and act like He is there.
How?
Be grateful that He has let you in on this little secret.
