America's Got Talent

Wow!!! I don't know if you watch this show, but wow!! We will occasionally catch some of American Idol, but this is so much better...the acts aren't all singers that sound a lot alike. We're down to the final ten, and even though all but one act is singing, there is such variety. We've got the old man who sings Sinatra, the Elvis impersonator who is really convincing, a 4 year old girl, an act of 1 sister and 2 brothers singing and playing strings, the opera singer, the middle aged singing car salesman, the great black lady that can sing with incredible power, the nice-looking blonde singer, the great piano player and singer who can put more emotion in it than I've ever seen, then there's Nuttin But Strinz--2 young black men playing violin, if you can imagine, like you've never heard violin and playing their own original music. I really need about 3 to tie for first. If you want to catch up watch Thursday night at 7:00 on nbc to see it go down to the final 5.

Thought for the day
We really do put talent on a pedestal in this culture. It's almost insane when you think about what we're willing to pay entertainers and sports figures so that we can be entertained. That's maybe not so bad, but it spills over into what we expect from real people, from each other. Our idea of what's normal or expected can be skewed by watching life played out according to a script complete with special effects, camera angles, air-brushing, makeup, and musical score. Have you ever noticed while watching a movie or tv the character's eyesight can actually zoom in on the precise detail he needs to see? Pretty cool---my eyes don't do that. No wonder that we grow impatient with real people who have real limitations and appearances. We can't tolerate a problem that goes on for years instead of being resolved in 2 hours. The people we deal and live with don't follow the script; we expect even ourselves to look and perform like the personalities we watch--who needs that kind of pressure? Let's think about what is realistic for us and for those around us and begin to see ourselves and them the way Jesus sees us all--precious and valuable and appreciate what God has created and loves.