Hi everyone!
Maybe I have turned a corner after all since a counseling session brought some clarity to my current situation and I also understand my sister, Nicole’s current obsession with the music of the Britsh rock/pop band, Queen. By the way, I will call her by her nickname, Nicki, hereafter. Additionally, please bear with me since I know this introduction will be….long, but there is a lot of ground to cover. Thanks for reading this, especially if you have the kindness and patience to read it in its entirety.
For those who haven’t heard of Queen, check them out! For those who have, well, you are already acquainted with much, if not all, of their music, the personalities of the band members (especially that of the late Freddie Mercury, whose character did much to inspire this work, surprisingly!), and the Bohemian Rhapsody biopic coming out later this year.
In the session, to be clear, I talked about some family concerns, work struggles, etc., the feelings of fear and doubt I’d experienced in those and many areas of my life besides lately. In that time, and and told my counselor, “I think I understand Nicki’s obsession with Queen now.” For context, Nicki became obsessed with Queen around the time she first heard of the biopic, reconnecting us with our roots in classical music, country, pop, and classic rock in a new way. My initial reaction was to grumble concerning the realization that either I would become obsessed myself or I would hate Queen in response to Nicki’s obsession. (In fact, as I wrote this section of the blog, she modified “We are the Champions” and sang the modified version to her pup. Part of me wants to tell her to shush, the other is smiling and thankful for her love for Reilly since Reilly just came back from the vet and got a combination vaccine!)
That in mind, I became interested in the characters and psychology of Queen myself. After almost a year’s worth of mulling over what could be the reason behind my obsession with the character of Freddie Mercury, I hit on what most resonated with me this past week. . Nicki and I were watching the following video: Freddie Mercury – The Official Birthday Video, and I finally realized why I admired him so much and why he had a magnetic draw for many people during and after his career and death. Even with the strong language, smoking, foolishness (like calling himself a “musical prostitute- to me, there is nothing funny about human trafficking, though the jest was in sarcasm), and so on…..he was, well, authentic and transparent to a degree I don’t see in very many people nowadays. His raw candor and authenticity just…..resonated with me in a way that I finally realized that’s what I, personally, love most about him as a musician and I am sure I would have been very good friends with him if I had been born in the 1940’s or 1950’s myself.
He missed the point of living if he was not a Christian, yes, but his authenticity and transparency, with little to no fear of the days to come, were and remain inspiring. That, to me, is a hallmark of mature Christianity and what Jesus wanted for His people, after all! Proverbs 31:25, for example, says of the “wife of noble character,” “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.” (NIV 2011) Additionally, the Message translation states that Jesus wants for us as follows:
“Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. “The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I’m not keeping it to myself; I’m ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen.
28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
“Living freely and lightly” sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? Part of Mr. Mercury’s draw was, I think, that he did so as well as a non-believer could do and gives many, I imagine, pause to consider what doing so as a Christian does or would mean, whether they are living like that.
How I wish Mr. Mercury had known that, if he didn’t. I pray he did and, frankly, his example has inspired me to write about that realization on Thursday and the counseling session today. Thanks be to God that He reminds us that “nothing is too hard [or difficult] for [Him],” according to Jeremiah 32:17, no matter what legitimate translation of Scripture you read! That certainly applies to living authentically and transparently, thus using the time we have on this Earth to seek out the Lord, grow close to Him, and impact the world for His glory and our good during our lives and after we are either in Heaven or Hell.
In conclusion, with that in mind, I will publish Part Two of this series of posts- the poem itself- tomorrow, as I am still writing it mentally and working out the best way to communicate what I mean clearly. Please pray about that for me and I will pray for y’all as well! Thanks, as always, and may God Bless you now and always!
Michelle
Musings on Life from A Work In Progress : Living Life On The Straight and Narrow 