Diva in Disguise

The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7b



For nearly a week now the media has been in a frenzy over a Scottish singing sensation named Susan Boyle whose performance on the reality show "Britain's Got Talent" surprised and enthralled everyone all over the world. You have to live under a rock not to have heard about her.

Never has any contestant on this show been so talked about and adored. It's like she's already won the competition. She literally became a celebrity overnight. Just why are we so fascinated with her? I think because of the supposed irony. Here's this unemployed, homely, cat lady, spinster who's "never been kissed" and out of nowhere, this voice comes that no one expected. She sang "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables and the song is about broken dreams which adds to the irony because I think her dreams just came true.

When she stepped out on the stage the audience judged the book by it's cover as always. We live in a very looks obsessed society in Western culture and I wouldn't say she's ugly. She has two eyes, a nose, and a mouth and she's not badly overweight. But I won't say she fit the definition of pretty either. She really wasn't much to look at. People scoffed and laughed and thought the audition would last about three seconds. After she belted the first line though...no one was laughing. She sang that song as well as I've ever heard a Broadway performer sing it. The look on Simon Cowell's face was priceless. Everyone was stunned and thrilled. You don't expect that kind of extraordinary talent in someone who looks so ordinary.

The media and show business think they're so big and powerful and have created a mold that famous people are supposed to fit. So many good looking people who can't really sing are famous and I've watched American Idol plenty. The auditioners who know they don't really have any talent often bring props and gimmicks as if that will help them and don't make it past the first round. They even try dancing and trying to use fancy ornamentation in their songs to make it. They don't just sing because they know they can't. I don't think many of them are serious about a music career. They just want their five minutes of fame and attention whether good or bad.

I often wonder what would happen if some of these famous singers stopped those noodley things they do with their voice and the ornamentation. Would they be as famous if they just sang straight? Susan Boyle, in spite of her plain appearance, walked out on that stage with confidence because she knew what she had even though the audience didn't yet. And it took seconds after she belted out that first line for people's jaws to drop and for them to jump to their feet and applaud. I had trouble hearing the rest of her song because everyone was cheering so loud. She sang straight and she's got it. If you closed your eyes you would think it's Barbara Streisand.

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with ornamentation and "noodling" as my voice teacher at Cab Calloway used to call it. I love to do it when I sing pop songs. But there comes a point when it becomes overkill and is just used to cover up lack of tone quality.

This surprise has shown us that there are really no ordinary people in God's world. That even though a person might not look like much, we can never really know what secrets they might have. Jesus said in his sermon on the mount..."Blessed are the humble, for they shall be exalted." Susan Boyle is living proof of that statement. Everyone has something special about them and I think God is using Susan Boyle as a wake up call to us of that statement. Nothing that he creates is ugly.

You go Susan! You're an inspiration to "ordinary" people that they can be extraordinary and you really are living proof that dreams can come true. God has a big plan for you I know it!