A Spiritual Lesson from American Idol - Truth

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What in the world does American Idol have to do with one's spiritual journey?

Well, you can learn a lot  about life (not just about our culture) reflecting on this cultural phenomenon. I rarely get through a whole season, to be honest, but I have a love-hate relationship with the audition shows.

I am absolutely amazed at the masses that try-out for this show. I find myself in awe as a lowly, backward, and sometimes slightly awkward, contestant steps up and delivers the vocals of a pop megastar. I am also absolutely intrigued by the other extreme of the equation. I find myself watching people who seem to have all the confidence, looks, charisma, and everything it will take to be the next American Idol and then it happens...they open their mouth...and what comes out isn't pretty. In fact, it is downright painful! It becomes instantly and abundantly clear to the judges and the entire watching world that this person CANNOT sing! They sing, and sing, and sing. Will it ever stop? In front of the TV, I'm curled up in the fetal position, rocking back and forth, my ears are bleeding, I'm crying out, "Make it stop, make it stop, Mommy, please!" and there is simply no relief until they decide to be done. 

But I keep watching, why? 

Because I am spellbound watching these people who believe they can sing.

Then the most fascinating of realizations dawns on me - American Idol has shown me, that despite the post-modern anti-absolutes campaign, there is absolute truth in our world. There is a real right and a real wrong.

Even those watching the show who have no sense of rhythm, pitch, or as is said "Can't carry a tune in a bucket" understand something "just ain't right" with what is coming out of the mouths of the most terrible of contestants. 

Why? Simply put, it's because A=440.

What in the world does that mean? Well, the more specific equation is A4 = 440 Hz (Hertz - basically, for our discussion, is the unit of measurement given to sound vibration. It's also the musical note of North American telephone dial tones.) and the truth is, whether your voice can reproduce this proper note or not, your ear and mind can understand that anything that is supposed to be the musical note A and is anything but 440Hz just sounds bad! (See Wikipedia for a more detailed discussion of Music and Mathematics.)

All that to illustrate this - There is absolute truth in music and just like 2+2 is always 4 mathematically, there is absolute truth in our world today.

Cover of C.S. LewisA great Christian philosopher of the past relates the same truth this way, "Whenever you find a man who says he does not believe in a real Right and Wrong, you will find the same man going back on this a moment later. He may break his promise to you, but if you try breaking one to him he will be complaining "It's not fair" ... It seems, then, we are forced to believe in a real Right and Wrong... they are not a matter of mere taste and opinion any more than the multiplication table." 

~C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Also author of "Voyage of the Dawn Treader"

 So I would suggest, whether we choose to believe it or not, there is absolute moral truth in the world today. 

Read Part 2 - American Idol and Absolute Truth - Believe it or Not! 

These illustrations were used as a part of the message "The Game of Life" at Recharge 2011 on the campus of the Word of Life Bible Institute, Owen Sound campus. Check out the rough notes blog post.