American Idol, Husbands, and Wives

Last night after our weekly small group Bible Study a few of gathered to watch this week’s installment of American Idol.

I thought the judge’s were excessively harsh this week, though in the end I agreed with them that Elliot and Chris did the best job.

What was distracting was that the songs were way over produced, the band was too loud, and the music was too big. That was too bad for the singers without huge operatic voices.

Although Andrea Bocelli was really kind, I don’t think producer David Foster was very good for the contestants. In fact, it seems in retrospect that the contestants do best with those star-helpers who, instead of trying to push them into a mold, or make them sing songs their way, work with them to make music that will really work with the uniqueness of who they, the contestants, are as singers. Thus, Stevie Wonder, Queen, and David Foster didn’t work too well for the contestants, and Barry Manilow and Rod Stewart did. Except maybe for Elliott, for whom David Foster’s direction and discipline roped in his vocal ramblings.

And though it is easy to laugh and joke with Simon about what Paula has been drinking whenever she goes into her teary mode, I could understand her tears last night. Elliott, though he has always had a great voice, has been transformed from an awkward, uncomfortable stage presence into a real singer/performer. Last night he was just splendid. If you’re the least bit emotionally invested in one of these contestants, a performance like his last night would evoke tears of joy. I was touched by her tears.

I felt the same way the week Fantasia did Summertime, and even a little bit last week when Christ sang What a Wonderful World. I’ll grant that Elliott may have technically a better voice than Chris, but Chris’s voice speaks to me, gets to me. I have memories of listening with my dad to Louis Armstrong sing Wonderful World, and it’s a great song, and Chris did it his own unique way, which, again, Rod Stewart encouraged.

Well, our week night bible study has been working through the book of Ephesians, and last night we just so happened to be on that passage that so many people love to hate, the one about wives and husbands in Ephesians 5:22-33.

We were discussing the part where it talks about husbands loving their wives “as Christ loved the church, and gave himself up for her…so that he might present the church to himself without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies.”

We struggled with the analogy. Christ loves the church and gives himself in utter selflessness for her, even unto death, but also, as it says in Hebrews, “for the joy set before him,” and “to bring many sons to glory.” There is anticipation of union and communion of God and His redeemed people. In that union and communion, there is anticipation of unfathomable joy. In Christ’s utterly selfless sacrifice bearing the sins of his people he anticipates their glory, a glory that he will share ,and they will share, with him, a glory they were made for, and meant for.

So, that work of renewal and transformation whereby His people progressively are made to be more holy and without spot and blemish (a work of moral and spiritual transformation) is a work that makes his people become all they were meant to become, and thus, in truth, more themselves, more beautiful in themselves, and more beautifully fitting for relationship to him.

Such will be a husband’s love for his wife. It will work, through self sacrifice, love, and encouragement, to help her become all she is meant to become, and, likewise, more fully herself, more beautiful in herself, and as a result more beautifully fitting for relationship to him.

So what does American Idol and Ephesians 5 have to do with each other?

Well, this…the good teachers, encouragers, and lovers of the contestants, the ones who have really wanted to help them from the starting point of who they are become all that they can become – they have produced generally the better performances over the many weeks. The better performances have made the contestants more lovely and attractive as singers and as persons, not because of slinky dresses or fancy duds, but because their personalities and the joy of their persons have shone through their music.

When they have been forced into a box (no, you have to sing it just THIS way), it just has not worked as well generally.

Maybe there is a lesson there for teachers, parents, friends……and for husbands.

Joel