As we begin today's Notes, we want to pause a moment and reflect on the significance of today's date. June 6, 1944, plays into some of the events described in today's Musical Notes and is a day to be celebrated and honored, for on this date 79 years ago the Allied forces made their push into Normandy, France, and turned the tide on World War II. Many lost their lives that day in the advancement of freedom from the tyranny of Nazi Germany. We must never forget moments like this in history and provide to those who sacrificed, the honor due them by remembering. We are grateful for those who served in this great conflict and pray that your sacrifice will never be dishonored.
For more about D-Day, click on this link from history.com: "D-Day" - by history.com editors, updated May 11, 2023, | original article published October 27, 2009
And now we bring you Tuesday's Musical Notes in its entirety...
Here we are. We find ourselves on the first Tuesday of June! Most schools have dismissed for the summer. More candidates are scheduled to announce their intentions of running for President and other offices in an election that is 16 months away. (Get your yard signs today!) College baseball is on its Road to Omaha and the big leagues are defining the "Boys of Summer". (It's okay to be humming the song right now, we're doing it too!!!) It's only 88 days until College Football kicks off!!! Theme parks, campgrounds, and lakes are seeing the summer influx of vacationers needing a break, and a diverse variety of summer camps are populating college campuses and retreat centers.
We start today's blog with all of the above to ask a simple question: "Are you ready for the summer?" (While obscure, this too is a song reference...end credits...1979's Meatballs starring Bill Murray in his first leading role. Rated PG. That's 1979's PG. Funny but a bit crude at times) After the remembrance of those who sacrificed everything for our country, it seems with Memorial Day weekend, folks all across the country declare it to be summertime and start the annual rituals of getting outdoors more often for a variety of things, some of which are much fun, others of which...well, is weed eating... If you live in the South, you distribute your time equally by enjoying the outdoors and battling the creatures that live in the outdoors.
Whether you are grilling for the family or determining your next strategy against mosquitozilla, music tends to be a part of what we do outdoors. From the days of the transistor radio to the current opportunity to stream a gazillion songs on your phone, music has been a part of our summertime fun. (For a brief history of portable music, click on the link: "Infographic: The Evolution Of Portable Music" by Josh Morrisey, April 9, 2012, thestrut.com) In short, the ability to take our favorite summertime soundtrack of life with us is nothing short of...well...a miracle...
Written specifically for the Angelina Jolie movie Unbroken, the Coldplay song "Miracles" was released as a part of the promotional campaign for the film. While it did receive some airplay and was well-received by music critics, it failed to chart as a single.
The film, however, is a different story. It is based on the 2010 book by Laura Hillenbrand, Unbroken: A World War II Story Of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. It is the retelling of the true story of Louis (Louie) Zamperini, a combat serviceman in World War II, who prior to his military service, placed 8th in the 1936 Olympics as a runner setting a record for the final lap of his 5000-meter race. During his service in the war, Zamperini survived a plane crash and 47 days in open water on a raft, and was then captured and held in a series of Japanese prisoner-of-war camps. The bulk of the film features his struggle to survive the brutality of the camp and one Japanese soldier, Mutshuhiro Watanabe.
The film was critically acclaimed while not in major award areas, receiving three Academy Award nominations in the Best Cinematography, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing categories. Who knew those existed? Unfortunately, it did not win in any of those categories but was named one of the Top Ten Films of the Year by the American Film Institute, the New Hollywood Award for Jack O'Connell, the actor who played Louis Zamperini, given by the Hollywood Film Awards, the Top Ten Films list, and Breakthrough Performance Award for Jack O'Connell, by National Review, Best Action or Adventure Film by the Saturn Awards, and the Outstanding Action Performance by Stunt Ensemble Award from the Screen Actors Guild. (Nice award...should probably get more props!) Some Christian movie critics argued that the film didn't receive the Major Awards recognition it deserved due to Zamperini's life after his army service ended...it too was something that many consider...a miracle.
We leave the story of Saul for a time and segue into the adventures of the Apostle Peter. As we have told the great stories of the Bible in the last couple of years, Peter has been a prominent character of late. He was one of the 12 original disciples called by Jesus to follow Him during His teaching time on earth. He also was a part of Jesus' inner circle of three, which included James and John, the sons of Zebedee. Peter had a reputation for being quick to speak, many times resulting in a strong admonition from Jesus.
By the time we catch up with Peter in this portion of Acts, we see a maturing disciple who is seeking to be more like Jesus with each day, to have the opportunity to serve others, to preach the Gospel of Jesus, and if necessary to suffer for the sake of the Gospel. The impulsive Peter that we have come to expect is still around as we will see in the future, but our Scriptural focal point today doesn't indicate that his actions were anything more than one of a man seeking to be like Jesus.
We see in Luke's account of Peter's acts two stories of the miraculous. Peter has traveled to the town of Lydda, which is modern-day Lod a city northwest of Jerusalem and southwest of Tel Aviv. As Peter comes into town he encounters Aeneas who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. Peter speaks the name of Jesus over Aeneas and tells him to "get up and make his own bed", which of course Aeneas does. Yes, it is a miracle that Aeneas was walking, however, if you're not careful, you miss another miraculous event in the postlude of the story. Aeneas walking around the streets of Lydda was news for the day and all of his neighbors saw him. The Bible says that after they witnessed the miracle in Aeneas' life, they received one on their own, as they turned to the Lord. The Bible says "ALL" (emphasis mine) in this portion of the passage. An entire region (Lydda and the plain of Sharon) was transformed through the power of the Holy Spirit because of the miracle that occurred in a paralyzed man's life.
The second story in Scripture today comes from the area of Joppa (modern-day Jaffa, a district of Tel Aviv) and relates the account of Tabitha's interaction with the Apostle Peter. The Bible describes Tabitha as rich in acts of kindness and charity. It goes on to say that these acts were a habit that Tabitha had as a part of her life. This habitually kind lady became ill and died. Her friends and family prepared her body to be buried and placed her in an upstairs room. The local followers of Jesus heard about Tabitha's death and sent for Peter whom they had heard was at Lydda. At their earnest urgings, Peter came to Joppa and went to the room where the women of the area were morning Tabitha (the Bible calls her Dorcas at this juncture in the narrative). On display were the garments and tunics she had made, the tangible signs of Dorcas' kindness. Upon his arrival, Peter ushers them all out of the room and prays. Turning towards Tabitha he said to her "Tabitha arise". She opened her eyes, saw that it was Peter, and sat up. Peter gathers the women who had previously been mourning and presents Tabitha to them. The Bible says that this event also resulted in life change miracles as many in the region of Joppa heard about Tabitha and believed in the Lord.
"...Sometimes the stars decide
To reflect in puddles in the dirt
When I look in your eyes
I forget all about what hurts..."
To reflect in puddles in the dirt
When I look in your eyes
I forget all about what hurts..."
The 1998 Winter Olympics (Nagano, Japan) was the scene for another miraculous event in Louis Zamperini's life as he would run a leg of the Olympic Torch Relay close to where the prison camp he was interred in was located. Zamperini was 4 days shy of being 81 at the time.
Just like Aeneas and Tabitha, there is a postlude to Louis Zamperini's life that includes a miracle equally as important as his survival. Director Jolie doesn't quite finish telling the story as Unbroken ends just when Louie's real life is beginning. Zamperini converts to Christianity upon his return home and becomes an example of Jesus by meeting with several of his captors (Watanabe refused to meet with him) and offering them forgiveness for the acts they had perpetrated against him. The miraculous story of survival he had experienced paled in comparison to the miraculous change he experienced when he surrendered himself to Jesus.
Aeneas, Tabitha, and Louis Zamperini devoted their lives to God. They allowed that devotion to spill over into every aspect of their life as the attention came to them as a response to the miraculous events in their lives. In Zamperini's case, the movie falls short in telling His inspirational story, one that did not rely on his release from a prison camp, it was one dependent on his belief in a man who died to bring him a restored relationship with God. On July 2, 2014, at the age of 97, Louis Zamperini received the ultimate miracle as he passed from this life into the presence of the One who had provided the only miracle in his life that counted...
Have you had a similar miracle? You can by believing that Jesus was sent by God to restore the relationship that was broken by mankind in the Garden of Eden. Jesus provided this opportunity by serving as the sacrifice for all of the wrong things you have done, I have done, and everybody else has done. His perfection becomes the lens by which God sees us if we believe this. And that my friend is as true of a miracle as you will ever experience...
If you would like to read more about the miracles that occur in the Bible and that can occur in your life, check out these Tuesday's Musical Notes from the archives:
'Til Tuesday,
Loving HIM by Loving You,
randy
<><
No comments:
Post a Comment