Friday, April 17, 2009

What Does it Say About Society?

There has been quite an uproar about Susan Boyer lately -- I even directed you to her performance in a youtube video in a previous post. Since her 'debut', the world has been buzzing about this nondescript middle aged woman that everyone laughed at until she opened her mouth and sang.

Shame on us. Why in the world would any of us be surprised by her talent -- and I'm including myself in that scolding. Why is it that we only think the young, thin, and beautiful are capable of wonderful things? I wonder how many times we have lost progress in this world because we have overlooked the brilliant by choosing the beautiful.

How many times have those who received genes that didn't seem to match, suffered physical or other maladies that left them less than 'perfect', or even those whose parents weren't able to provide the latest cool clothes been treated just differently enough by peers, teachers and bosses that they gave up and believed they weren't good enough?

How many older folks lived fabulous lives, created wonderful things, taught our best and brightest, yet get treated like children because they are a little slower, a little more bent, a little less focused than they used to be?

How many brilliant minds, locked in bodies that don't function well, go unheeded because we who think we are smarter can't take the time to listen?

What a different world it would be if each time we looked at a person we expected to hear brilliance -- a voice like Susan Boyles' or something else just as magical? Isn't that what God sees?

I hope they don't feel a need to make her over. She is beautiful just as she is!

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