Advent 13: What makes me what I am? ...

Friday, Dec 13, 2013. We have been watching the film “Music and Lyrics” recently, and one of the songs touched me. In the film, Alex Fletcher, a former pop star, was trying to revive his dwindling career. The song I am talking about is the song where he tries to express his love to Sophie, who helped him to change his whole life. It has the title: “Don't Write Me Off”.

What makes me? …

In this film, Alex Fletcher has been living on his former glory. He has been focussed to keep or revive what has been. He is not living in the presence. He is not living on his own personality right now. But there is now something in his life - Sophie - which changes all this:

“Since I met you, my whole life has changed It's not just my furniture you've rearranged I was living in the past, but somehow you've brought me back And I haven't felt like this since before Frankie said relax.

For years I've been telling myself the same old story That I'm happy to live off my so-called former glories But you've given me a reason to take another chance Now I need you, despite the fact that you've killed all my plants

And though I know, I've already blown more chances Than anyone should ever get All I'm asking you is don't write me off, just yet Don't write me off just yet.”

Don't write me off …

I like this song, for the love it expresses, but also for the shift it shows from the past, from former glories, from things which do not really matter, to those which matter. I like it because he asks for not being written off yet. That is what we all want: to have a future. To find a source of love, to be forgiven and to get another chance.

In the film, this is all symbolized by Sophie, the woman which comes into Alex' life. In reality, it is God, who comes to us with all his love, with his forgiveness, with new chances, with a new life. God is it, who renews us.

24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards,3 not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being4 might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (1. Kor 1)

For me, part of this film is like a shadow of the things which the bible brings to me. It looks like a shadow (a nice shadow!) of the reality of the Lord. It is like a parable of how God is and of some of the things which happen, when you get to know the Lord. (Roland Potthast) ... more texts