Be Brand New

Media got it wrong again, reporting the story of the headless chicken once more rather than the miracle of grace.

Lady Gaga was the headless chicken that captured all the headlines this week when she donned that $100 meat rag for the VMA Awards. First Madonna, then Britney Spears, and now Lady Gaga. They comprise the Female Trinity of Fame Spoiled.

In explaining, or, uh-um, defending her rotting choice of apparel, Lady Gaga said, “If we don’t stand up for what we believe in and if we don’t fight for our rights, pretty soon we’re going to have as much rights as the meat on our own bones. And I am not a piece of meat.”

In other words, Lady Gaga does not want to be treated like a slab of meat, even when she dresses like one.

Got that?

She wants the very same thing Madonna, Britney and every single one of us wants – to be respected, valued and heard.

Ironic isn’t it? God gives these women the most amazing voices and untold opportunities and instead of living grateful lives, lives that would gain them the very thing they are seeking, their actions become so shrill it drowns out the voice they are trying so desperately to make heard.

We’ve all been that desperate. Each and every one of us. Oh. We might not put a flank steak on our head and march off to church pretending it’s a hat, but we’ve done equally absurd things.

We’ve yelled at somebody we shouldn’t have.

We’ve put others down to make ourselves look better.

We’ve acted ugly and claimed to have done it for righteous reasons.

We’ve pushed others aside when they’ve sought our forgiveness.

We’ve belittled our friends and embraced those who exploit us.

Yet, never, not once has God turned his back upon us. Instead he reaches out to our maggot-infested selves and says, “Come, here child, listen to this song my girl Taylor Swift is singing. It’s meant for you, too.”

It’s all right, just wait and see
Your string of lights is still bright to me
Oh, who you are is not where you’ve been
You’re still an innocent
Who you are is not what you did
You’re still an innocent
Time turns flames to embers
You’ll have new Septembers
Every one of us has messed up too
Lives change like the weather
I hope you remember
Today is never to late to
Be brand new

Taylor Swift intended that song for Kayne West, who had acted the fool towards her at last year’s awards. He has apologized, but the one person who doesn’t seem capable of forgiving Kayne is himself.

Seeking forgiveness from others is often easier to do than accepting it for ourselves.

If only we could see ourselves the way God intended for us to be.  The way He sees us.

Innocent.