Our family watches American Idol. For some folks this is an abomination. Bear with me. Keep reading. One of the singers this year is a girl named Angie Miller, as far as I can tell she is a follower of Jesus. Over the last few weeks she had been taking a lot of heat from the judges. In particular during “rock week” she performed in a “sexy” way and was called out by Nicki Minaj (the irony is thick with that I know).
This past week (April 10, 2013) she “got back to her roots”. She sang at a piano. She a spiritual song. It was absolutely breathtaking. She sang of the gospel and it left our family speechless.
http://youtu.be/_kyIQrDknzk
For me, the real moment came when, once again ironic, Nick Minaj called her out.
She was called out, “I don’t know why you are running away from this. This is who you are.”
When I heard this some Scripture ran through my head,
34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them,“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:34-38, ESV)
I want to be clear, Minaj was calling Miller out on her musical style not her spirituality. But it caught me up short. Miller was trying to please the judges and crowds by moving away from who she was as an artist. I wonder, how many times do I as a follower of Jesus move away from him because I want to be liked? How many times do I try save my own life?
How often have I been ashamed?
You know those moments when the conversation turns to the spiritual? Your face gets hot. Your heart races and your palms sweat. So often we change the topic and the conversation.
We run away.
The next time that moment comes I don’t want to run away. I want to be who I am.