Beautiful

Respect and possibly even something like admiration is what I feel for 'Marshall' (Aka Eminem).  Songs should be about something real, and he demands some kind of respect for the blunt frankness and honesty he has in some of his lyrics.  Honesty and authenticity being rare character traits.  His lyrics give us a glimpse of his life.  The good, the bad, and the ugly.  In 'Beautiful' he invites us into the 'tale', and challenges us to trade shoes, to walk a thousand miles with him to see what it's like to be him and him be you, to…

 'Feel your pain, you feel mine

 Go inside each other’s mind

 Just to see what we find

 Look at shit through each other's eyes'.

In somewhat technical terms it can describe the 'mentoring' relationship; of one person coming along side another to gain a deeper understanding of who they are, and help lift them forwards.  But strip the jargon away and I think what you have is a pureness of friendship, to see people for who they really are and still continue the thousand mile journey with them.  As a Christian, it reminds me of the 'one-another' passages; accept one another, be devoted to one another, and carry one-others burdens.  I've only just begun walking part of the journey with the young people but my prayer is for my heart to be broken for each of them, to love, accept, and help them carry their burdens.   A few days ago one of the boy's father's had died, and if I cannot offer anything else, I hope and pray that I can feel that pain with him.  But as we are taken through the rhythm and rhyme of Marshall's journey he perceives…

‘But I already told you my whole life story

Not just based on my description

'cause where you see it from where you're sitting

Is probably 110% different’

I can only go so far in carrying this boy’s pain of losing his father.  My own grandfather died recently, I know that death hurts and life is never going to be the same.  But for every person that pain is different. And as I'm sitting listening to this boys hurt, what I'm seeing may be 110% different to what he sees.  We can never truly swap our eyes for someone else's.  But I am reminded of a man who can.  A man who left the most privileged position there ever was to come to the depths of the slums, a man who bore scandal, suffered injustice, and eventually was betrayed by and  for the people he loved.  A man who carries every person’s burden, and brings life and healing. Jesus, help me to be more like you with the people that I meet, to allow people to come as they are, walk with them, and still love them because you made them to be beautiful.