Black and White

“Shades of grey wherever I go; The more I find out the less that I know; Black and white is how it should be; But shades of grey are the colors I see.”  ~Billy Joel, (William Martin Joel) American singer, song-writer, composer (b 1949)

“Jason!?” His mother’s voice could be heard all the way from the kitchen. It wasn’t just the volume and pitch of her voice that he found disconcerting; it was the way in which she inflected his name upward that gave him pause and concern. “JAAY-SON??” her voice came again. “What are you watching?”

Jason was in the family room watching the big screen TV his dad had purchased just so he could watch football and basketball games. His Dad was working late tonight and the 55^th Grammys were on so Jason intended to make full use of this wonderful piece of technology, particularly the surround sound.

“JASON?” His mom’s voice was closer now. He quickly turned the volume to, what he thought was, an acceptable level. Checking the screen he was relieved to see that Adele was on screen. She was wearing a simple black dress. Mom couldn’t object to that, could she? Thankfully, Nicki Minaj and the guy in the Pope outfit were gone. That would have set his mom off in an instant.

His mom whisked into the room. “What are you watching?” she asked, hands fisted on hips. “Just a TV show,” Jason replied lamely. “What TV show?” she persisted. “Just the Grammys,” he said, looking away from her and at the screen.

To his horror, Adele was gone and Lady Gaga had appeared, replete with a low-cut black dress, black fish-net veil, and a gold scepter. It was too late to change the channel by punching the Discovery Channel preset.

“Let me see what you’re watching,” his mother demanded, coming face to face with “the Gaga.”  She stood there staring at the screen. Jason fantasized for a moment that Lady Gaga was staring back at her.

In an instant, his Mom snatched the remote from his hand. A moment later the screen went black and the electronic hum died. “You aren’t watching that trash in my house!” she scolded, tossing the remote onto the couch.

“What do you expect me to do?” he whined. “My homework is all done.”

His mom stared at him for a moment. “Go upstairs and play your video games,” she said finally.

In the early “Westerns” one could always tell the “good guys” from the “bad guys.” Black hats and white hats aside, the good guys were always clean-shaven and well dressed. The bad guys, for the most part, were ill-groomed, slovenly and ill-mannered. This created an over-simplified and stereotypical view of the world.

There are many who still apply this stereotypical approach. We create or adopt our definition of what is good and what is bad. If something or someone fits the “Good” definition it/they are considered acceptable. If our “Good” definition doesn’t fit however, then the person, cause, or thing is deemed “Bad” and we demonize it.  For example, some of the early leaders of the Christian church deemed that women were the source of sin in the world. Therefore, women, as a group, were deemed bad.

As Christian Stewards we are called to view the world in a very different way. None of God’s creation is inherently bad. All of creation is, in fact, a gift. God created Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu (Mother Teresa) and God created Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (Lady Gaga). Just as Mother Teresa’s “gifts/talents” are products of a loving Creator so are Lady Gaga’s “gifts/talents” products of that same loving Creator. 

The Grammys display to the world much of the great musical talent God has created. No one can argue that Christina Aguilera doesn’t have a great voice, for instance, although there may be other aspects of her lifestyle which are disconcerting.

In this respect, Jason’s Mom missed an opportunity. Rather than dismissing the Grammys as “trash,” this could have been a chance to sit with her son and watch the awards together. In this way she could have pointed out those things which were good, and those things which were questionable or inappropriate.

We too are called, at all times, to point out the goodness of God’s creation, rather than demonize it.

God doesn’t make junk. We make junk out of what God creates.

Dear God: Remind me to first look for your presence in all things.

“May your neighbors respect you, trouble neglect you, angels protect you and heaven accept you” ~Drake

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM 90SS!

©2012 James E. Carper. All rights reserved.

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