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In the pew at Talui Baptist Church
SPOILER Alert: If you have not already seen The Soloist but intend to, stop reading now. Don't let the following reflections get in the way of your experience of the movie.
Something about those 5 years I spent growing up in the Detroit metro area in the sixties created a special place in my heart and musical consciousness. So, I can hardly see or hear the word "respect" without getting an internal echo of Aretha Franklin spelling it out, r-e-s-p-e-c-t.
Sometimes Aretha belts it out when I'm not actually hearing the word but encountering the concept. That's what happened on Friday night. It was date night with Cathy and we went to see The Soloist.
I didn't find The Soloist an easy film, but did find it meaningful. That does not seem to be the majority view among film critics (but see Carrie Rickey of the Philadelphia Inquirer). Whatever the film's flaws may be, when Aretha's voice came to me, I knew I'd be writing this update.
If you haven't seen the film, it is based on a true--and still unfolding--story. Journalist Steve Lopez of the L. A. Times is desperate for an idea for his column, bumps into Nathaniel Anthony Ayers, a homeless man who turns out to be a musical genius and, as he writes about Anthony's story, gets drawn into it.
As Lopez learns more about Ayers, he finds himself wanting to help him. One of the film's threads is how Lopez winds up far more deeply involved and far more deeply challenged by Ayers than he expected or wanted to be. A big part of the challenge to Lopez is whether he will simply do things to and for Ayers, or genuinely seek to understand Ayers and treat him with respect. Though it is not a "happily ever after" moment, a real turning point comes when Lopez first calls Ayers, "Mr. Ayers," and says, "I should have called you that from the beginning."
For Lopez, and for any missionary, the first step toward becoming truly useful to others is to respect them enough to listen, to learn and, insofar as it is possible, to enter into their reality. As Aretha says, the key is r-e-s-p-e-c-t.
Lord, give me the grace to listen, to learn and clearly to respect those you send me to serve in the name of the gospel.
Blessings on you,
Stan
p.s. A fascinating and parallel-but-quite-different treatment of this culture-crossing challenge appears in the book by Mortenson and Relin, Three Cups of Tea--a great read! And, particularly useful for missionaries and ministers is Tim Dearborn's Beyond Duty: A Passion for Christ, a Heart for Mission.
Something about those 5 years I spent growing up in the Detroit metro area in the sixties created a special place in my heart and musical consciousness. So, I can hardly see or hear the word "respect" without getting an internal echo of Aretha Franklin spelling it out, r-e-s-p-e-c-t.
Sometimes Aretha belts it out when I'm not actually hearing the word but encountering the concept. That's what happened on Friday night. It was date night with Cathy and we went to see The Soloist.
I didn't find The Soloist an easy film, but did find it meaningful. That does not seem to be the majority view among film critics (but see Carrie Rickey of the Philadelphia Inquirer). Whatever the film's flaws may be, when Aretha's voice came to me, I knew I'd be writing this update.
If you haven't seen the film, it is based on a true--and still unfolding--story. Journalist Steve Lopez of the L. A. Times is desperate for an idea for his column, bumps into Nathaniel Anthony Ayers, a homeless man who turns out to be a musical genius and, as he writes about Anthony's story, gets drawn into it.
As Lopez learns more about Ayers, he finds himself wanting to help him. One of the film's threads is how Lopez winds up far more deeply involved and far more deeply challenged by Ayers than he expected or wanted to be. A big part of the challenge to Lopez is whether he will simply do things to and for Ayers, or genuinely seek to understand Ayers and treat him with respect. Though it is not a "happily ever after" moment, a real turning point comes when Lopez first calls Ayers, "Mr. Ayers," and says, "I should have called you that from the beginning."
For Lopez, and for any missionary, the first step toward becoming truly useful to others is to respect them enough to listen, to learn and, insofar as it is possible, to enter into their reality. As Aretha says, the key is r-e-s-p-e-c-t.
Lord, give me the grace to listen, to learn and clearly to respect those you send me to serve in the name of the gospel.
Blessings on you,
Stan
p.s. A fascinating and parallel-but-quite-different treatment of this culture-crossing challenge appears in the book by Mortenson and Relin, Three Cups of Tea--a great read! And, particularly useful for missionaries and ministers is Tim Dearborn's Beyond Duty: A Passion for Christ, a Heart for Mission.