40 Days Of Broadway – The Book Of Mormon

If you had told me when I was younger that one day, I would be writing a devotional based on something written by the same two guys who created, “South Park,” I probably would have laughed out loud, and yet, thanks to Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and Robert Lopez’s, “Book Of Mormon,” here we are. The truth is, the took the Broadway world by storm with it’s 2011 debut and hasn’t looked back, earning a whopping nine Tony Awards in its inaugural season and still receiving sold-out national tours to this day.

The outrageous (and highly offensive) comedy tells the story of two aspiring Mormon missionaries from the Church of Latter-Day Saints who are sent to Uganda where their attempts at evangelism are consistently thwarted by the day-to-day realities faced by local villagers, things like warlords, HIV/AIDS, hunger and starvation, genital mutilation, poverty, and oppression (and yes, this is a comedy). In one scene, the stereotypical Elder Price faces his fears about confronting the stereotypical gun-toting local village warlord singing, “I Believe,” where he affirms some of the foundational faith shared across much of Christianity, proclaiming things like, “I believe that the Lord God created the universe, and I believe that he sent his only son…” The song then takes a strange twist, as Elder Price expands on his beliefs, defiantly stating, “I believe that ancient Jews built boats and sailed to America,” and even when he sings, “I believe that God has a plan for all of us,” he follows it up with the declaration, “I believe that plan involves me getting my own planet.”

Now, while I’m not trying to pick on our Mormon sisters and brothers the way this particular show does, this song does offer a lens into one of the major conflicts in many faith communities today, that is, the conflict between faith and reason (or in the case of COVID-19, science). Faith is powerful, even essential, and yet, it is best served when it leads us to loving God and loving others. If our faith ever leads to harm, either by action or inaction, then it is time to reassess this sort of blind faith. After all, our brain and the use of logic and rationality, are some of the greatest gifts, along with free will and free grace, that God ever gave us. In his memorable passage on faith, hope, and love, Paul explains this development into his own mature faith by saying, “When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, reason like a child, think like a child. But now that I have become [an adult], I’ve put an end to childish things.”

Lord, grace us with a mature faith that loves you, by loving others, and teach us to use the reason and rationality you have blessed us with to be a blessing to others. Amen.

40 Days Of Broadway – Spring Awakening

In 2006, singer/songwriter Duncan Sheik, who was made famous by his 90’s alt-pop song, “Barely Breathing,” brought his concept album, “Spring Awakening,” to life on Broadway. At the time, it starred a young cast and a who’s-who of what would become some of the most successful stars in musical theatre, including Lea Michele (Glee), Jonathan Groff (Frozen, Hamilton), and John Gallagher Jr (American Idiot).
The show, set in a strict, religious private high-school in late 19th century Germany, explores a number of adult topics that would have been deemed controversial at the time and many that still are in certain spheres today, including puberty, sex, homosexuality, abortion, and suicide. The show begins with Wendla lamenting the fact that her parents never taught her how to handle her introduction to more mature experiences, singing, “Mama who bore me. Mama who gave me no way to handle things, who made me so sad. Mama, the weeping. Mama, the angels. No sleep in Heaven, or Bethlehem. Some pray that, one day, Christ will come a-callin’. They light a candle, and hope that it glows, and some just lie there, crying for him to come and find them, but when he comes, they don’t know how…” By the end of the show, after several of the characters have gone through some life-changing situations, there is a bit of a reckoning, as the cast sings, “I believe, I believe, I believe, all will be forgiven…I believe, I believe, I believe, there is love in heaven.”
In the church (and really, in real life), we have a phrase of people who act, “holier-than-thou,” who are quick to point the fingers at others for actions they deem unethical and immoral. Often, it’s only because this sentiment gives these overly judgmental individuals a false sense of pride, especially when they create compartments in their own minds of what is right and wrong, and then always, somehow, place themselves in the “right” box. Another word for this is hypocrisy. Jesus warned strictly against this way of thinking, especially from a religious context, imploring his followers, “You deceive yourself! First take the log out of your eye, and then you’ll see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s or sister’s eye.” (Matthew 7:5). Instead, forgiveness, grace, and understanding seem to be Christ’s consistent message, as Paul reminds us in Ephesians 1:7, “We have been ransomed through his Son’s blood, and we have forgiveness for our failures based on his overflowing grace.”

Dear God, remove our arrogance, hubris, and selfish pride, and instead, fill us with an attitude of forgiveness that extends grace to others as we demonstrate the inclusive love of Christ for a hurting, confused, and broken world. Amen.