Susan Boyle Taught Me an Important Lesson
I don’t know if you guys have heard the story of Susan Boyle yet but I can’t get her off my mind. My friend Harold sent me her story yesterday. On Saturday night the middle aged, never been kissed, church volunteer who still lives with her parents appeared on the TV show Britain’s Got Talent. Here’s how one newspaper reported the story…
The moment the reality show’s audience and judging panel saw the small, shy, middle-aged woman, they started to smirk. When she said she wanted a professional singing career to equal that of Elaine Paige, the camera showed audience members rolling their eyes in disbelief. They scoffed when she told Simon Cowell, one of the judges, how she’d reached her forties without managing to develop a singing career because she hadn’t had the opportunity. Another judge, Piers Morgan, later wrote on his blog that, just before she launched into I Dreamed a Dream, the 3000-strong audience in Glasgow was laughing and the three judges were suppressing chuckles.
It was rude and cruel and arrogant. Susan Boyle from Blackburn, West Lothian, was presumed to be a buffoon (Click here for entire article).
But what happened next took the judges and the entire audience by surprise.
Grazie Susan Boyle! from seb fil on Vimeo.
Bottom line: In our world today we think only the pretty can be succesful. We think respect and honor should be reserved for those who look and act a certain way.
Too bad this mentality is not only limited to the corporate world, the runway, and reality TV. The problem is this attitude is prevalent in the church.
Shame on me! Shame on you! Shame on the church!
I pastor what some would call a “pretty” church. It’s full of a lot of good looking artists, sharp dressed young professionals, and young 20 somethings wearing the latest fashions. However, there is also a vast array of individuals who might be considered by worldly standards to be quite “average” sprinkled throughout the congregation every weekend.
I got nauseous watching this video wondering how many Susan Boyle’s come in and out of Cross Point each week unnoticed, unloved and undiscovered. How many of them have beautiful spiritual gifts designed for the body of Christ we’re totally missing because we think the body of Christ has a certain “look” or “image” to it?
How many of them are just waiting to be noticed, waiting for someone to believe in them and waiting for someone to look beyond their outer image to their inner beauty?
Come on church. We can do better!
What do you learn from the story of Susan Boyle?
I saw the video earlier this week and was stunned by Susan’s talent, of course, but I adore her personality. She has spunk and a confidence in herself that others didn’t see until she began to sing.
I felt unsettled at the people laughing at her. One thing I’ve learned in the last 8 or so years is that everyone (EVERYONE) has a story that is worth telling. Appearances are deceiving.
Oh..and I adored seeing Simon Cowell REALLY smile and be genuine during Susan’s song.
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Beautiful insight, Pete. God sees them too, and I pray He would remove the American veil from all our eyes to see them.
Likewise, that we wouldn’t presume to assign ministry and spiritual maturity to those who just look the part. Wheat and chaff.
Love your new Easter pic, by the way… We needed to document that tie!
I saw this earlier also Pete. My reaction? You can’t judge a book by its cover. What an awesome voice and I truly liked seeing Simon’s look. It was a Kodak moment.
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@Sunny and Bill, I didn’t know that guy had a genuine smile until I saw this video.
I was happy to see Simon actually be happy for someone.
But before that, I was sickened that we all had her judged as soon as she walked out on stage. And, yep…I think we do this ALL OVER THE PLACE. We need to remember Susan when we think someone can’t cut it.
I cry every time I watch it. The song is all about hope. “Beautiful job Susan!!”
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I was watching this last night. It reminded me of the verse from 1 Samuel 16:7, “….for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
What a lesson for all of us.
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I learned (or was reminded) that everyone is walking aorund with some sort of excellence inside. You must take the time to tap into it.
All that God creates is one of a kind, and we all are worth the time.
*Today is National HIGH FIVE DAY!
^5 to you and all those out there choosing to make a difference!
Spend today looking into the eyes of people like Susan, who may have otherwise been overlooked. There’s no telling what your smile, conversation or “high five” may spark in them. Or in you.
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I cried. I cried with joy because I had just witnessed a beautiful gift from God being expressed. I cried with sadness for the many amazing gifts that go unopened because they aren’t prettily packaged. Shame on us. This opened my eyes and pierced my heart. Now the test is to find ways to seek and encourage others to let their gift out! And, may I also say … to screw up my courage and raise my own God given gift up the flag pole and let it FLY!!! By His grace and with His strength. WooooHoooo!
Pete, you never cease to amaze me with your humbleness and view on people, the church, and God. You have the right heart and if I could high-five you right now I would. I have been in enough “bling-bling” churches, where you felt you had to look good, pray perfect, and simply serve man only. My pastor was fired from his last pastoring job because he did not simply score enough on the score cards from week to week. Yes, the elders used score cards! If you can find it, I would love for you to here a song by Jason Upton called, “Lullaby For A Petrified Sacred Society.” You would enjoy it because it is about this very thing. Keep firing away!
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We have set up ridiculous and arrogant standards of what is beautiful. By doing so, we isolate anyone other than those who are exfoliated and moisturized, buffed and tanned, highlighted and texturized, trendily styled, and outfitted with the latest and greatest technological gadgets. As if any of these things can make up for what really counts.
The truth is–every person is beautiful in some way. This week I encountered an elderly woman who some would call a “bearded lady”; her blue eyes twinkled like the ocean on a summer afternoon. I shopped alongside a woman whose face was absolutely covered in growths (like the famous “Tree Man”).
When I smiled at her, she flashed one back–a smile far more brilliant than my own. I know a woman whose back is getting bent more and more each day by worsening kyphosis, but her attitude and her spunk is infectious.
Years ago I realized how shallow my own definitions of “beautiful” had become and I prayed that God would lend me His glasses when viewing others. We need to see people as God sees them–each one a precious treasure created in His image. Sometimes I misplace the glasses for a bit; I usually find them beneath a toppling pile of magazines next to the remote. And sometimes the lenses get splattered and polluted and need to be wiped off again.
And my prayer becomes: “Lord, check my vision. Let me see each person the way you do. Let me see the beauty, the image of you, in them. And, God, more than anything, please help me to love better.”
The problem, in my opinion, is that “church” has gotten a little too comfy with big business and all of its flowcharts, cost-benefit analyses, profit margins, and marketing techniques. Prettily packaged people market well. I mean who really wants to get a “church invite” in the mail with a 75 year old woman with a lot of hair on her chin saying “Come fellowship with me”? Who can look past fleshy cauliflower growths to see a welcoming smile? The institutional church has literally jumped in bed with big business. And I shudder to think of the consequences.
Yes, that video was Beautiful. I put it everywhere I could think of yesterday, I totally went viral
Like Sunny, I LOVED seeing Simon grin, other than this woman’s excellence, that was my favorite part.
People are and can be incredibly insensitive, luckily for us, Miss Boyle either ignored it or was unaware of typical human nature and she prevailed.
And because of her strength we all have learned something.
How awesome!
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I’ve sent that video out to several people and every single one of them was moved. It has caused me to look at others around me and wonder what is hiding inside of them as well.
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This video convicted me. I am a people watcher and I am the first to point out their flaws and bad sense of style, boyfriends, way they are with their children and so on. How dare I “judge a book by it’s cover?” How dare I point out another persons flaws while ignoring my own? Thank you Susan for making this so painfully and beautifully obvious to so many of us.
I’d also like to thank Susan for fueling my crush on Simon! He was totally CA-UTE in this clip!
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Pete,
I was formulating a similar post on the way into work this morning because no matter where I tune the radio, they are talking about Susan Boyle. I was convicted by something while I listened to them.
Why did Susan have to be able to sing at all in order to receive value? We keep looking to her ‘undiscovered’ talent and focusing on the fact that it was unexpected. Susan had the SAME value before she sang on the show as she does today. At least in God’s eyes. People have changed their valuation of her BECAUSE she can sing so well.
Ask yourself this question – How would Susan have been perceived had she performed at the level expected – that of a William Hung?
Would she have been any less human or valuable than she is today?
I think this is just another indicator that we value talent in spite of the person instead of valuing the person in spite of the talent… or lack thereof.
Tony York’s last blog post..For Susan’s Who Can’t Sing
@Sherri,I loved when you said ” I learned (or was reminded) that everyone is walking aorund with some sort of excellence inside. You must take the time to tap into it.”
Great stuff and so true.
@ttm, I agree partially. I do believe the church has to be very careful in how she communicates to the community. We’ve got plenty of room for improvement there.
However, this problem has to be addressed on the micro level. How are we treating the people sitting around us at church. How are we treating the people in our neighborhoods.
Marketing can be a problem but this problem goes all the way down to the core of who we are: the heart.
Saw this clip on YouTube. These kind of videos are great reminders that we far too often judge “the book by the cover” even though we’re reminded that “man looks on the outside but God looks on the heart.”
Great post and great reminder.
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Susan is without a doubt fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps 139:14). What a gift. But even more than her singing, I admire her courage and strength.
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Wait a second. I for one thought Ms. Boyle was going to be fabulous. So don’t judge me. I have enough shame in my life. I don’t need to feel crappy about not saying hi to all the “Susan Boyles” at Cross Point. Really, I try to say hi to all the homely talented 50-year-old virgins who walk in my path. I do. But it’s impossible sometimes. I don’t notice all of them. But I will try harder, Pete. Why? Because you blogged about it. Because you said, “Shame on me/you/church!” And because I want you to like me.
mpt’s last blog post..got sin?
Thanks for blogging on this, Pete. I have heard about this, but have not seen it. I’m about to watch it…it has broken my heart to hear that people actually laughed at her before she sang, because she wasn’t “pretty” enough.
I am a “Susan Boyle”. I have never felt pretty enough, smart enough, cool enough. Often, thoughout life boys overlooked me for the pretty girl. It hurt. I soon began to believe that I must not have anything to offer because I was not pretty enough. Because of that belief I have made alot of bad choices in my life. Then I began to develop a relationship with God, and I learned that God thinks I’m beautiful and he knows that I have alot to give. I learned that at Crosspoint, amongst all of the pretty, perfectly coiffed, and perfectly dressed people. But I was excepted for who I am and that means everything to a girl like me.
Don’t judge a book by it’s cover! (especially if it’s her I’ve seen her almost everywhere in the last 24 hours!)
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I blogged about this yesterday. It was hard to watch how they treated her and then how she suddenly had value because she had a talent they appreciated. I’m glad to see I wasn’t the only one who felt this way, Pete.
Julie’s last blog post..Do you dare to see
@Candy,
I love those verses in Psalm 139… I have learned what they mean in a deep and personal way. My oldest daughter has Spina Bifida and is paralyzed from the chest down.
God made her that way.
It took me years to understand that. When David said, “You formed me in my mother’s womb.” Something hit me.
We are covered in God’s fingerprints!!
Who am I to judge one of His handiworks? My daughter is a beautiful piece of art that He has entrusted to me to guard over and protect. She is more valuable than the most expensive masterpiece in an art gallery because the greatest Master of all signed His name across the DNA of her body.
Tony York’s last blog post..For Susan’s Who Can’t Sing
I saw this for the first time today. I cried and I’m going to put it on my own blog.
I *loved* this post. It is too true, Pete. We all often judge too much by appearances. Thank you for this post. God bless you, Brother!
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@Julie, it was hard for me to watch the audience treat her that way because I’ve been that audience member before.
I am someone about her age and felt all too clearly the pangs of being discarded as not trendy/young/fresh/techie enough, for dreams or tasks of my own desiring. I love that she finally was given opportunity and she grabbed it!
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In all seriousness though… the question I’ve been wondering is this: would we be having this kind of a conversation if she had sucked?
I mean, the fact that she is indeed a fantastic singer shouldn’t be what convicts us.
And too, there’s a very good chance that the audience’s reaction is a little “produced.” That show is edited to pieces. And those kinds of gasps and boos and shocked faces are easily edited into a piece like that. I just think that, today, we have to keep that in mind when looking/learning from viral content. That’s all.
mpt’s last blog post..got sin?
Wow.
I’ll be honest… I’m still shedding tears as I write this. That was extraordinary beautiful.
There. Now you all know how much of a wuss I am!
@ Tony York What blessings you and your daughter share! Thanks for sharing them with us. Your Father has made you an awesome father.
Candy’s last blog post..The Rally
@MPT, totally agreed. I guess I should say I’m really not learning from the viral content. The viral content is just a reminder of my judgmental and critical attitudes.
I’m not being critical of the audiences reaction because I’m quite confident I would have acted similarly.
While they’re reactions may be “produced” mine are not. You wouldn’t have to edit me to pieces to discover that at times I discount people based on very superficial reasons.
And I agree, they would not have reacted so positive if she would have sucked. We still have an issue of worshipping talent and beauty.
I just needed to be reminded to treat everyone with respect and dignity regardless of my first impressions of them.
My question is, what are we going to change?
Because we can sit here all day long and talk about how much we are convicted by these things. And then in a week or so we forget about it and get right back into the old pattern until the next video comes along and convicts us again.
This is something that I have really been convicted about lately. The whole “talking about change but not actually doing anything about it.” So convicted that I am currently in a state of sitting in silence listening to the voice of God and trying to figure out where He wants me to go from here.
People like this are all around us on a daily basis. And we judge. The homeless guy (he’ll just spend the money on booze or drugs), the woman with the wild children (she must be a horrible parent), etc. The list could go on and on.
My point is, unless we stop the talking and start the doing…what is the point of wasting our breath and time?
@mpt, and stop picking fights with me today and go write something brilliant.
so true pete.. i got chills when i heard her sing and i actually showed it in one of my classes today to illustrate the point you also are trying to make..
in our society we are so stereotypical and judgemental.. hate that, and i am guilty as well. susan boyle taught me a great lesson!
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I got nothing but love for you, PW!
mpt’s last blog post..got sin?
Such a touching video. It broke my heart to learn that she said that she had been bullied by other kids as a child, lived with an elderly mother until she passed away and had never been kissed. Her vocal performance was amazing.
I know we all gravitate towards new and shiny but when you hear someone sing who has lived life, you really hear something special.
and of course, I agree with the earlier post, even if she sucked… it would have been music to Gods ears. Or at least he would have had the super power to lower the volume.
As one of the fat, frumpy members of womankind who wishes she was beautiful enough for the beautiful people in the world to acknowledge her existence (not to mention the whole single woman/single guy dynamic), I related with Susan and thought her brave for refusing to let any shame discourage her from trying. Plus, it felt really good to see Susan get out there and shock everyone, and then to hear the beautiful people on the panel own their habit of insisting that everyone be just like them while acknowledging that it’s really not a good thing.
How many other Susan Boyles are out there whose hearts have been broken by the rest of the world to such a degree that they don’t have it in them to even try anymore? If knowing that God sees us and loves us were actually all we need then what do we need other people for? But we’re wired for community… It’s not enough to say, “God sees you and loves you.” Words without actions to prove the truth of the words are empty…
Okay, nerve hit. Rant processed and ended.
What I learned from Susan is that the life long dream in my heart can still come true. I think that is why I have cried every time I have watched this and instead of crying less each time I cry harder. Needless to say I dare not watch it at work now.
I also learned that I don’t have near the kingdom eyes that I would like to think I do. I can honestly say this though, having felt like the underdog most of my life I don’t think my eyes would have rolled as much as some. Not because I have that Christian thing all going on but because when you have been in those shoes your heart goes out to others wearing them.
I hope for Susan’s sake she doesn’t end up being whisked all over the world as the feel good story of 09. In many ways that is worse than not being noticed in the first place. I believe all she wants is to let her literal voice be heard and enjoyed.
God Bless you Susan, he has certainly blessed me through you.
@Steven, I think you have to answer that question for yourself. Obviously blogs, messages, and podcasts can share scriptures/stories/information/wisdom but then you have to decide what you’re going to do with it if anything at all.
So what are you going to do?
Me? I’m opening my eyes today. I made sure I looked Randy (a handicap man who comes in to help us fold programs) in they eyes this morning and listened to him. I made sure he knew that I knew he was important to what we do here at Cross Point.
Hoping for several more of those opportunities today!!
Pete Wilson’s last blog post..Susan Boyle Taught Me an Important Lesson
It starts with: “Good morning/evening, how are you doing?” If you are shy, please volunteer in kids world, not first impressions.
I was starkly reminded of my own stereotypes and judgements. I was starkly reminded of my own times as the Susan the stage. I was starkly reminded of my times as the audience. None of it was comfortable. None of it made me proud of myself. All of it made me immensely grateful for a God who places bits of Himself in every. single. thing. He has created. All of it made me immensely grateful for His mercy when I am judgmental. Or when I feel like Susan. Or when I behave as badly as that audience. Thanks for singling it out to blog about today.
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This actually made me cry because she was judged so completely so quickly, even when she showed a cute and cheerful personality. The judges and audience made me sick. Even to say they were shocked when she could sing. Why? All that matters is vocal chords and those can’t be seen without a flashlight. Good grief. I guess I’m not around such judgmental people that much and I forget that such vitriol exists.
wow thanks for the reminder, how often do we shy away from people based solely on their physical appearance… and how tragic for us… what a gift we could be missing out on meeting/ seeing/ or even hearing in this case…
What a moving video! Thanks for the reality check… sometimes we all need a little convicting!
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I didn’t mean to come across like I was critizizing the church. I hope it wasn’t taken that way.
My point was simply that we can sit and talk about being convicted about things until we are blue in the face. But at some point, we have to move past the talk.
It was a challenge to myself, and anyone else who needed it, to get to that point of doing.
What a beautiful post, brought tears to my eyes. This is the first time I saw this video. It’s so sad that we place so much emphasis on outward appearance. We tell our children,”don’t judge a book by it’s cover”.
Yet we watch television programs that say the opposite, or even worse…we ourselves judge people based on appearance. I believe this post taught ALL of us a valuable lession. Thanks Pete!
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AMEN PETE!!!! The crux, or the cross, of it all is JESUS was so common, so “un-lovely” the Bible says there was NOTHING in his appearance to draw men. It was what was inside – just like Susan Boyle. Yes, this is a prophetic wake-up call to the church to look more like Jesus and less like the world. Amen, Pete, amen.
I am not “one of the pretty people”. I never was. I never will be. I am one of the blessed people. I have a mom, a husband, and friends, who see beyond my physical appearance. When my daddy was alive he could lie straight to my face and tell me I was beautiful. Perhaps to him I was, because he too, saw more…
My heart still goes out to Susan Boyle. As the article stated, she is worthy or respect, with or without a special talent (though she is definitely with, in spades). I hope she has people around her who love her for who she is, and not just impressed with her talent.
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I have to think, wonder if Jesus went out of his way to not go to the pretty people first? I would think He didn’t see people in their flesh at all, but saw the need. Here’s something else for thought. I’m not one of the “pretty people” and, like Michelle, it really struck a nerve with me. However, I think there is a tendency by those of us who aren’t “pretty people” to judge those who are, just as harshly. We look at people who have talent, are beautiful, etc.. and think life must be easier for them. Yes, there are ways that it is easier and society does seem to accept them more readily, but they hide the same pain, insecurities, etc… that we do.
Julie’s last blog post..Do you dare to see
As a woman the same age as Susan, I find myself struggling alot with living in a world where youth and beauty are adored. I cried when I saw this video too, but what got me the MOST about it was her confidence! She had a little twinkle in her eye as if she was carrying a big secret that she couldn’t WAIT to share with the world!! She KNEW that she had a gift from God that was going to blow everyone away! From the moment she started singing, she was completely fearless because she knew she was exactly where she was supposed to be at that moment.. sharing her God-given talents with the world!! I believe our fears of being judged keep us from going out into the world and doing what God has put us on this earth to do. At the end, she blew a kiss to the crowd and started walking off the stage, not even waiting to hear what the judges had to say because she knew she had come out there and done what she intended to do. I am inspired by Susan Boyle. I pray that God will remind me that I CAN be that fearless and confident when I am using the talents he has given me, and not worry about how the world is going to judge me. And I don’t necessarily mean musical talents…. we are all blessed with different “talents”, some are just more obvious than others.
Yes, we all need to be more careful about judging others by first impressions only, or by the world’s standards. We’ve all done it. Thankfully God’s mercy gives us another chance every single day to get it right.
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pete, some stuff from my blog that i shared about lessons learned:
How familiar? Consider these words:
Can anything good come from Nazareth? – John 1:46
and the words from Isaiah 53:2-3
He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by others,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
And one of my favorite verses & stories from 1 Samuel 16:7. I can’t speak for others. God has extended His grace to me but there are times, I am fooled and do not extend this grace to others. God, Give me your eyes, ears, and heart…
But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things human beings look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
or check out the translation from “The Message”:
But God told Samuel, “Looks aren’t everything. Don’t be impressed with his looks and stature. I’ve already eliminated him. God judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks into the heart.”
Well said Pete!
I am one of the ordinary ones.
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I love your article and the reminder that we need to always be on the lookout for the Susan Boyle’s in our lives. I’m so taken with this woman and her lovely story that I’ve created a fan site for her : )
Ellie’s last blog post..Susan Boyle Hot Twitter Topic
@mpt – yes the fact that she is a good singer, yet for all worldly purposes was not PREsumed to be, IS what is convicting. Because we didn’t want to allow that she “could” be a great singer, based SOLEY on her appearance. The prophetic point is that, we are to wait to see what is on the inside before we discount someone’s claims to talent, gift, or service. If a man comes along dumpy, ugly, and not well-spoken, we may very well assume he is not cut out to pastor or preach when he says he feels called of God. I wonder what Moses looked liked? But, there are many who do claim a gift, a talent, a call, but there is no fruit – the actual evidence we are to be looking for. We do get to disqualify people, just not based on superficial, external appearance – as in the case of David. But, Miriam, Aaron, they tried to claim a power and a position that wasn’t theirs. If Susan Boyle could not sing, she would be trying to claim something she cannot possess – like Miriam and Aaron and the fig tree Jesus rebuked. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have a place at all. It’s true we shouldn’t completely discount people when they don’t live up to a false expectation. But no one should be on the worship team who can’t sing. No one should be in theater productions who can’t act. God required the BEST builders to build the temple, not just those who had a desire or an interest. He required the best musicians and that they practice their craft to excellence. If you can’t sing, don’t be insulted when you are not given a spot on the worship team. But instead, play to your strengths. Find out where you can be utilized for your and the church’s very best. Susan Boyle will be a great asset to any theatrical or recording company. She may not be on videos and doing concerts, but her talents can be well used in the right venues.
Britain’s Got Talent is so different than American Idol. You would NEVER see a Susan Boyle on American Idol – ‘we’ would not allow it. In fact, there was a highlighted audition of an older European woman, scolding Simon for his unkind remarks. But we too laughed and smirked this woman’s unbelievable ‘perception’ that she could win. The show made a big deal out of it and she was brought back later. It sickens me to think that I too, found it funny. The ‘Susan Boyles’ and the ‘Paul Potts’ (also another unlikely Britains Got Talent audition and eventual winner) of the world are reminders of just how far off we can be. By the way, predictably, they immediately took Susan Boyle in for a ‘make-over’ – she was just too genuine in her own look and we had to change her to ‘fit in’.
So now that we’ve read your post, watched the video and read the comments, what are we going to do differently? Let’s try this: “Jesus always chose to see people for who they could be rather than who they were in that very moment.” Lord, may we see others through Your eyes and believe in them like You do.
Genesis 1:27 (ESV) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Susan Boyle is an imagebearer of God.
Praise God.
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Yay for a local lassie teaching the world a very important lesson (I live like less than 20/30 mins from Blackburn, West Lothian which is near Edinburgh!!!!!)
Pete, I couldn’t agree more, and all the time I feel the pressure because i’m one of those people who happens to sing on the worship team that I’ve got to ‘look’ the part. The fact is, I’m not a girly always wearing the latest fashions or looking perfect kinda person. And I forever feel it, and I’m so sick of seeing these perfect looking people ‘up front’ which just isn’t what Jesus was about at all. It just ain’t who he hung around with. And outward appearance was so not what was important to him – in fact he taught us the opposite, did he not (or is that just me?).
Thanks Susan for your courage, for not being afraid to be yourself, and to not give up to share that wonderful gift of singing you’ve been given even in the face of prejudice, cynicism, mocking and judgmentalism.
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Amazingly insightful. You are so right. How many times have I done that. Father forgive me.
Jeremy
Amanda’s words were right on when she responded to Susan’s performance.
It was a wake-up call. It seems like it’s a wake-up call for anyone who sees this video.
I think the reason this video resonates is because we ALL feel like Susan.
I remember a reoccurring dream I have had throughout my life of a moment like this – when I would have the chance to go on stage and proved to all those who doubted me that I was worthy.
Susan did it.
Becky’s last blog post..Britian’s Got Talent, Indeed
I just stumbled into this last night and it literally made me cry. I’ve been waiting all my life for someone ‘unconventional looking’ to come along who’s too good to be ignored. It would affirm every talented, but perhaps not perfect looking, artist out there. Interesting though…her personality was such a huge part of her charm. Rarely is it ‘just talent’ that flicks the switch.
The scary part is that she has to follow up in the next round. How awkward it will be if things don’t work out.
Susan Boyle rocked it…and I’m glad this example is spreading like wildfire.
Melissa Irwin’s last blog post..birth
@Steven, no worries. I know what you were talking about bro.
Good word Pete. That’s so true.. An old man.. a ruddy Shepard.. an ordinary carpenter..
…split the sea, killed a giant, saved the world.
Love her spark and attitude! It is a great reminder to us to look beyond outward beauty AND age. (Although I’m thinking the audience members and judges wouldn’t have been quite so arrogant and judgemental had she been the same age, but drop-dead gorgeous.)
It is also a reminder for me to be the person GOD wants me to be, and not worry about the opinions of others. Be the best you can with what God has given you and then relax! If others scoff at you, it says something about them, not you.
Jowanna’s last blog post..Tea Party
My first question is – why is anyone even watching this type of programming? You were shocked and dismayed at the audience’s reaction??! I can’t imagine why (as most have commented). I avoid this stuff like the plague. I remember vividly the first airing of “Idol” with disgust. It broke my heart that they would air people trying to entertain others and purposely humiliate them when they were obviously not as talented as the rest. Why would I want to waste my precious at-home time with that?! It’s tough enough sometimes to keep Christ in front of your eyes without putting that in your brain. Sorry for the rant – I’ll shut up now.
Hi Pete,
AMEN! I saw her video a few days ago and posted it today on my blog. I sat and cried like a baby watching. My children were wondering why I was crying…why??? Because this world is so full of superficial white washed tombs – not even concerned about the heart. That woman has more heart than most ever will. Forget about whether she could sing – she believed in her dream and we all know with God all things are possible. God is using her story – whether edited or not to touch the lives of millions. Taking a good look at our hearts and how we feel about those who don’t look a certain way that makes us comfortable. How many people walk right out of your church because it is too hip, too cool, they don’t feel they can match up to the good looking Pastor, forget about the good looking church goers??? How many do come in and out of churches with the gifts God wants them to use but no one even takes notice they are there???
I don’t like to ever judge a book by their cover – learned that lesson when I was a teen. I pray no one judges me by the way I look and allow what really matters shine through…His heart living and growing inside of me. I love to vote for the under dog and by all means a 47 yr old woman on a show meant for the hip and often lifeless – is the underdog. Her story is so much more than her voice. Her story is what God is asking us to all see in ourselves – the beauty He is looking for is NOT on the outside – it is NOT skin deep – it is protected deep within us where only He resides!!! Are we willing to let that beauty out and be all He wants us to be???
If not, why?
Pride is an ugly thing! Flesh is deadly!
Praying the body comes alive, drops the lust of the eyes and goes for the love in the heart!
Blessings to you and thanks for keeping it real!
Jill
I feel the same way after watching that video…
She had something that we all have, that Jesus saw in everyone, even the sinners. Potential. But because of how she looked and spoke she was automatically deemed “less than”
I hope we remember what She taught us all.
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I can’t stop crying!
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I just was so taken by her voice and the scene of her audition when I first saw it. I posted the link to my facebook page and stared at her face and a verse from my past came to mind.
My parents both LOVED and often quoted Hebrews 13:1-2 all the time, and they lived it. Growing up I had visions of angels with big, old wings walking up our driveway, but angels are God’s messengers. And I’ve come to understand that this is a caution and a reminder to kind of stop and smell the roses. That there are folks passing through our lives all the time, God is using them and if we are too busy to notice or for some reason discount them we can be missing out on a message from God, a lesson we need to learn, an answer to prayer. Also we miss out on opportunities that He puts in our path.
“Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
Thank you for sharing this I’ve got goosebumps…that was wonderful !
Here’s why I think we love Susan.
http://digg.com/d1opbc
That was wonderful.
Thank you for your comments Pete.
I must admit that I have walked into a church, or venue to serve and thought, “These people are too beautiful. They aren’t going to want me here.” I am guilty in the opposite way. I thought that they couldn’t be genuine or friendly, or they wouldn’t want me to be the face of this or that ministry.
Very inspiring!
Jules’s last blog post..A Beautiful Teaching Moment Gone Wrong……
I bawled like a baby watching this…..
*~Michelle~*’s last blog post..Three Things This Thursday
I think part of her story is that she has spent some years taking care of her sick mother, too! Probably not a lot of room in her life for the beauty parlor or reading fashion magazines! Being a rather average-looking, non-fashion-plate person myself, I just love stories like Susan’s.
There was a man named Paul Potts on last year’s show who presented a similar surprise to the judges. If you’ve never seen his audition, here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA
He was a mobile phone salesman, very average looking, obviously in need of some orthodontia. Completely unassuming. In fact, he said upon interview that he had always had a problem with self-confidence, but that he felt he had to try to do what he thought God had always meant him to do: sing opera.
Seriously–you can almost see Amanda’s heart rise up into her throat when he hits the climax of the song. It’s worth a look.
Jan C.’s last blog post..Excuse me while I go and change my Depends . . . .
makes me cry every time!
I saw this video earlier & I probably thought the same thing they did.
Everyone knows churches are full of people who judge & that is very sad. When my daughter was 15 & going through a “gothic” stage where she wore all black, she went to church with her grandmother one Sunday morning & she came home & said she would never go back, because the people there were looking at her & shaking their head & whispering. (They didn’t even try to hide what they were doing.) And like she told me, they’re just clothes.
God doesn’t care what we look like, what our hair looks like, the brand of clothes we wear, so why do Christians put so much emphasis on these outer appearances?
My daughter is studying to be a youth minister & she has quite a few tattoos & her lip pierced & when I questioned her about why she keeps getting tattoos, she said people with piercings & tattoos don’t go to church because people (Christians) judge them because of the way they look. She said if she has tattoos & piercings it will be easier for her to reach out to this group of people. So I asked her who was going to hire her with all those tattoos. She said she would just start her own church where everyone would feel welcome. Sounds like a good idea to me
Laura’s last blog post..TO SNOOP OR NOT TO SNOOP?
I think the core issue here is how we define beauty. It is not about being open to “ugly” people to see what their inner gifts may be. It is about realizing that we are all made in God’s image and that we should look at each other and see that beauty. Who am I to define beauty? Face it, one day we will all look back at pictures of ourselves now and realize our highlights and French manicures are ridiculous and we could have spent the money doing God’s work instead of supporting the local salon.
We should realize that every single encounter we have can be profound. When I meet someone, I anticipate the good that he or she may have to offer. I don’t worry about what they wear, how they look, what they drive, or where they live. If I would have negated people based on those things, I would have lost out on so many wonderful friendships or even small but meaningful encounters. Maybe society would say that some of these people are not beautiful, but they were just gorgeous to me. Judging people is just wrong and we all know what the Bible says about it.
So funny to read this because the Lord showed me something very similar a few weeks ago. In fact He woke me up early to write it down so I wouldn’t forget. You can read it on my blog:
http://saramcnutt.blogspot.com/2009/03/but-lord-aaron-uses-crest-white-strips.html
Excellent, excellent point and absolutely breaks my heart in a million pieces. My husband just showed me this clip yesterday and I was so happy for that woman, so happy that she got to wow thousands of people, she got to be the one noticed and admired for once.
Sara’s last blog post..Thankful Thursday and A Synopsis On Thrills
That’s weird. My friend (and fellow core group member) sent me a link to this video yesterday. I was disappointed in the judges and the audience, but not surprised.
Because I’ve always felt like someone on the fringe of the popular crowd, I identify with the underdog and will cheer for them over the odds-on-favorite every time.
It still bothers me that they only came around when she proved to be of some “value” to them. What if she had a horrible voice? Would the humiliation fest become even more obscene?
I haven’t read all the comments, so forigve me if I’m repeating something already stated. I honestly wished I had only seen the singing portion without the shots of the audience and judges. I think it took away from her performance.
People would be amazed what incredible talents and abilities others have to offer. My church seems to attract people who might not get much attention elsewhere. Boy, have they blessed our socks off! Amazing. Of course, when we were going over slogans for our church, one of them that came up more than once was, “Convergence Church – We’re freaks!” My friend Koffijah says, “How we see others has much to do with how we love them.” So true.
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Seth Jones, I LOVE your comment.
Becky’s last blog post..Britian’s Got Talent, Indeed
So right! What a wonderful reminder to look where God does… on the inside! Thanks Pete!
Susan Hart’s last blog post..Pray For Chloe
Pete,
When we did the Lighthouse project several months ago one of the residents asked to get on stage and sang “Blessed Assurance” without a band, it was astounding and very moving. I told several people that we shhould ask him to sing it at a sevice at church. I don’t guess it fit or M.O., Too bad.
Oh.
Your words broke my heart.
beth’s last blog post..Less Clutter. Less Noise. Still Overwhelmed.
@Seth Jones, Dang man. You went all Max Lucado on us. Good stuff.
@Rick, my guess is it was a little more complicated than that but nonetheless, I would have loved to have heard it.
We invited a group from Lighthouse to sing several months back but they all went their separate ways before they could pull it off.
i cried. great word.
Blake Bergstrom’s last blog post..a man after my own heart!! everybody slips up occasionally!!
Story of my life. I gave up… perusing something different now… not my deepest dream… not my highest hope… not what my soul longs for…
… but being used. So that’s something. Sometimes we really do need to give up on our dreams because someone prettier get’s to do it. I’m learning to be content with what I do have… and not what I don’t.
Can I do what my soul longs for? Oh yeah… but sometimes reality is just reality and we need to accept that.
Many of us in this world and in the church feel like a “Susan Boyle”. Don’t wait to be noticed. Don’t wait for someone to believe in you. Don’t wait for someone to look beyond your outer image to your inner beauty. Unfortunately, it may never happen, so just step up and do it. Do whatever God is calling you to do. God has a purpose for you. Share your God given talents with the world. He gave them to you for a reason.
If it’s of any consolation, Pete, though I don’t fit into the image of what society deems as “pretty” or “beautiful”, Crosspoint has always been an amazing place where I can use my gifts and talents for God. At Crosspoint, I have never felt criticized or rejected because I don’t fit the image of someone that does what I do. I will always consider it a blessing that I get to worship with you guys and use my gifts for an “audience of One”.
Wow! I had tears in my eyes throughout the whole video. What a great reminder to us of judging a book by its cover. Thanks for posting!
I want to be a Susan Boyle…
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@Andrea, I’m so glad to hear that!!!
I agree.a huge wakeup call for me. I watched this other day and I really found myself sad that I seemed to be the one that was hiding the smirk. I think what makes me the most sad is that I as a Christian can my so hypocritical in this area. I can go to another country and think nothing of loving on a child who has one outfit or sitting in the house of a family who has one room for the entire family to sleep in yet I turn up my nose at someone who is different from me on my home turf. Talk about sending mixed messages! It is funny how God can use a youtube video to hit me in the heart and start to feel Him pulling and working to make it new again. Because I don’t want to me the one smirking or holding in my laughs…I want to be the one that is up there giving everyone a chance…even if it means that others are mocking me.
Jenn’s last blog post..Sometimes to go forward
I am ashamed to admit that I can be just as shallow as the folks in the video. Our society has such a high standard of what the norm should be, that we really don’t grasp how hard it is to obtain it.
I seriously think that most people’s self esteem issues come not only from trying to live up to other’s standards of beauty and acceptance, but also from trying to reach unobtainable goals ourselves.
When I was younger, I was much smaller than the rest of my classmates. I spent the majority of my childhood wanting to be taller, faster, and stronger like most of the other boys in school. It never happened for me.
Somewhere along the line, I found a sick sense of comfort in looking down on others who didn’t fit into the same mold that others set, and in all honest I didn’t fit into myself. I was the first to notice when someone was a little overweight, had bad skin, or wasn’t wearing ‘fashionable clothes’. It was a way of making myself feel better about my own insecurities. I remember doing this in elementary school, and I carried it into adulthood. I am ashamed of some of the things I have said and thought at the expense of others.
Again I don’t know how it started, but I wish it never did. It is something I still struggle with today, but not nearly as badly as when I was a teenager.
I guess what I am trying to say is that it is easier for us to put others down for there outward appearance than it is to deal with our own insecurities. And that is a shame.
Word.
I am a little annoyed by the fact that I’m going through my day humming tunes to Les Miserables now…
I gotta go fire up Itunes and get back to work.
Andy Darnell’s last blog post..Thorn in My Flesh
Wow. Loved this post, Pete. Beautifully written, stingingly true.
grace s. cartwright’s last blog post..i found God.
I learned that the British have more talent than Americans.
Des’s last blog post..Honestly Honest
Man…I so get Susan Boyle!! Her video has been quite inspiring to me personally!
Thank you for your insight…There is a whole lot of us non 20 somethings at Crosspoint that have a lot of gifts that need to be shared with the church! I see them everywhere, I know them I am one of them…
Thanks Pete. You’ll see our trackback from Digital Evangelism Issues blog below. It is an incredibly moving story, and the video is well on the way to being the most watched ever. Do check her 10-year-old rendition of ‘Cry Me a River’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI2DxkrgpgQ
Blessings
Tony
Susan Boyle changed the world in as we know it in one second of her voice. In the blink of a eye her Dream came true. It was like she sung for all the people in the World that have had Dreams only to fail, but she gave us hope to never stop the Dream for one day it just may come.
How can YOU a pastor have learnt a valuable lesson from a trashy British talent show???
If it really took this show to make you realise that some of your not too pretty flock might have something worth saying, then you seriosuly need to question your appropriateness for the role you fulfil
Major Gressingham’s last blog post..Susan Boyle Syndrome
Well, this seems to be the best time to confess my sin. You see, my prejudice goes in the other direction. I have not commented on this site for quite some time because when I see the photographs you have of yourself up there, I honestly can’t help but wonder if you’re just advertising a “hip, young look”. I’m not proud of it. And I do hope you’ll forgive my prejudice. But the “Susan Boyles” of the world always got my attention instead of the most popular kids in class with the latest fashions. To give you a better idea of what I am mean, please visit:
http://thenoreaster.wordpress.com/2008/10/13/the-church-of-misfits-through-the-narrow-gate/
TheNorEaster’s last blog post..SunBeams 9
And if you’re interested, Chris tells his story here:
http://thenoreaster.wordpress.com/2008/05/30/the-church-of-misfits-official-interview/
(That’s actually the first interview I did for The Misfits.)
TheNorEaster’s last blog post..SunBeams 9
Cheers for posting this report. I’m decidedly frustrated with struggling to investigation out pertinent and intelligent commentary on this issue. Everyone today goes to the very far extremes to either drive household their viewpoint that possibly: everyone else in the planet is wrong, or two that everyone but them does not really understand the situation. Many gives thanks for your concise, pertinent insight.