NOT AS STRONG AS WE THINK WE ARE
In the shadow of the death of yet another pop icon, Whitney Houston, I couldn’t help but think of the words of the late Rich Mullens:
We are frail
We are fearfully and wonderfully made
Forged in the fires of human passion
Choking on the fumes of selfish rage
And with these our hells and our heavens
So few inches apart
We must be awfully small
And not as strong as we think we are
Whitney Houston was a rare talent, and her death saddens me immensely. Like many before her it seems she was taken before her time. I can’t help but wonder what kind of music would have flowed from her in her older years. Perhaps the video attached is a hint. Cece Winans, Whitney Houston and Shirley Caesar on the same stage—they are ridiculous together! I wish there could have been more.
Whitney came from a family of faith, and in spite of her battles with alcohol and drugs, she returned to her faith in her later years. Unfortunately, Rich Mullens words proved to be true—we’re not as strong as we think we are. Sometimes things get their hooks deep in us and we limp—at best—through life. For Whitney it was alcohol and drugs. For you and me it may be the same or something different, but there’s something that will get us if we are not careful.
Our vulnerability to fall into all sorts of destructive patterns reminds me of something else. I’m sometimes intrigued by people who are followers of Jesus declaring their “victory” in certain areas of life—victory over addictions, or greed, or hatred, or laziness, or gluttony, or materialism, etc. But exactly how victorious are WE? Declaring that in Jesus we have ultimate victory over sin and death is one thing (and a beautiful thing at that). But declaring that WE are victorious over things that have hooked us in the past? Whoa…WE are not as strong as WE think we are. Without loving, supportive and in some cases “in your face” community those victories can be short-lived.
Because of things in my past I can fall back into the trap of co-dependency—thinking it’s my job to make everybody happy. Years ago a person asked me, “Who appointed you the f-ing general manager of the universe?” (PS Don’t jump down my throat on this—just quoting). She didn’t seem phased one bit that I was a pastor. She unleashed a stream of f-bombs. When she was finished I paused and said, “Please don’t hold back—tell me what you REALLY think.” Then we just looked at each other and starting laughing.
She was right. My co-dependency led me to believe I could manage the universe, and if I did it well enough everybody would be happy and everybody would love me. Insane, I know (not to mention a subtle but real form of idolatry—wanting everybody to love me). But when you are in the midst of insanity it appears perfectly reasonable.
If I’m not careful, I could return to that life as easily as Whitney returned to drugs and alcohol. Because, alas, we are not as strong as we think we are.
But God is. And it is His strength that carries us in our weakness. It is his mercy that covers over our sin. It is his loving arms that provide a safe haven, and it is His Son that takes us to heaven.
I can’t wait to hear that heavenly choir…with voices like Cece Winan, Whitney Houston and Shirley Caesar in it. I wonder, will they let a white dude in that choir? I can do the sway thing and keep the 2-4 tempo. I can even sing on pitch…most of the time. Please?!?!
