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Jesus
said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you
hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they
are full
of plunder and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the
inside
of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.”
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| Gospelthink: My words to the Pharisee are words to you as well: purify your insides, your thinking. Do I say a prayer for the people I think ill of? | ||||
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"Yeah, it’s pretty clear: I
ain’t no size two, but I can shake it like I’m supposed to
do
‘cause I got all the right junk in all the right places. Every
inch of you is perfect from the bottom to the top. You know I
won’t be no stick figure silicone
Barbie doll, so if that’s what you’re into, then go ahead
and move along. Because you know I’m all about that bass, no
treble."
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Meghan
Trainor's song "All About That Bass" is a clever song, beginning with
its title. One must use imagination to determine exactly what the title
means. Ultimately, she says that the person in the song's overweight
can make things even more pleasant than a thin body. Translating it
into music language, the bass could stand for more weight while the
treble stands for less. And her point, clear from the song, is that you
do not have to be thin and beautiful to have fun. One can have fun even
if overweight is a problem.
It is a good thought, and perhaps can be applied to Jesus' words to the Pharisees about the inside and outside of a person. In Jesus' mind, it is the inside that is more important. The outside may look fine, but that which counts for eternal life is how people are inside--what their motivations are, why they are thinking the things they do, and the like. Putting the thought into Meghan Trainor's song, beauty must be defined from a different point of view than simply weight. From the song's thought, enjoying life can just as easily happen with more weight as it can with less. The reason is that enjoying life is the internal part of the way a person thinks, while defining things from an external perspective misses the point. The spiritual point of Jesus' words, of course, deal with the spiritual part of enjoying life. The gauge of eternal life is whether the internal is right with God, no matter what the external may be. We can work with the external, of course, wanting to make the way we look a little different, but ultimately our eternal lives are defined by what is inside our minds. Meghan Trainor's song is an irreverent statement that brings home the point that being overweight is not bad. But if we look at the song as saying that beauty is more internal than external, we indeed have a Christian point of view. |
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| PRAYER Good and
gracious God, our world is often taken up with what appears good on the
outside, the part that people see. Your Son taught us to be concerned
about what our insides are like. May I truly learn your lesson.
Be with us, we pray.
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+++++
GUIDE
FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT
Theme: Beauty is more internal than external. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. What is your definition of a "hypocrite"? 2. In your opinion, are there many hypocrites in our world today? Yes or no and why? 3. In religious circles, do you think that there are many hypocrites? Yes or no and why? 4. Text analysis: "All the right junk in all the right places." What is the meaning of the phrase? 5. Analysis: "Stick figure silicone Barbie doll." In your opinion, is there too much emphasis put on being "thin" in our culture? Yes or no and why? 6. Text analysis: "All about that bass, no treble." What is your interpretation of this phrase? 7. How would you define what is "inside" a person as Jesus talks about it? 8. What do you think the meditation means by being "right with God"? 9. Do you think that most people would agree with the statement that beauty is more internal than external? Yes or no and why? 10. What does the song "All About That Bass" teach young people? |
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©2007
Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America |
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