Tag Archives: grace

The Redemption of Daddy Warbucks: aka, Annie the Musical

Posted on by
Reply

The most compelling characters in the stories we read are those who undergo great transformation through adversity.  Star Wars is ultimately the story of the fall and redemption of Anakin Skywalker.  Braveheart, Saving Private Ryan, Gladiator, each of these stories demonstrates how salvation/redemption comes at the cost of great sacrifice and overcoming adversity.  Every truly great story in some way contains God’s story.

God loves story.  I know that may sound ridiculous, but think about it.  The Scriptures tell the story of God’s love saving and redeeming His people.  Jesus often told the message of His gospel through parable, a short story illustrating a kingdom truth.  Jesus could have just said, “the Kingdom of heaven is worth more than anything else in the world.”  Instead, we hear, “the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up.  Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field” (Matt 13:44). 

I say this as a prolegomenon to my theory about Annie: The Musical, in which I am currently playing the role of Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks.  If you stop to really study the script, the person who undergoes the greatest transformation of character, the person who faces crises, redemption, and salvation is Warbucks.  Sure, the musical follows the exploits of cute little Annie as she brings optimism and joy to those who face sorrow and despair (the orphans and Hooverville).  Still, and I would say this even if I weren’t currently playing the part, Warbucks is the one whom Annie has come to save, and in this perspective, the musical is really a retelling of the gospel.

Consider this: Warbucks was born into poverty.  Both his parents died before he was ten.  From that time forward, he committed his life to making himself rich.  To quote Warbucks, “making money was all I ever cared about.  And I was ruthless to the people I had to climb over to get to the top.  Because I’ve always believed one thing, you don’t have to be nice to the people you meet on the way up, if you’re not coming back down again” (the audience always gasps at that).

As we discover in the show, Warbucks, in spite of his riches and success, is missing something.  Maybe he heard a great sermon by some Presbyterian minister there in NYC, but Warbucks knows his heart is missing something.  He knows his riches, his success, his fame, cannot find him the happiness, the satisfaction  his soul longs for.  “It doesn’t matter how many Rembrandts or Duesenbergs you’ve got.  If you’re all alone, if you’ve got no one to share your life with, you might as well be broke and back in Hell’s kitchen.”  Annie (the “Christ” figure of the play) comes into Warbucks’ life and shows him what true happiness is and where it may be found; in loving and being love by another.

Is this not the message of the Gospel?  We are born into sin, deprived of the blessing and peace of a loving relationship with God.  Throughout our lives we are in a restless attempt to satisfy the deepest longings of our heart and soul, only to find the transitory joys of this life empty and meaningless.  We surround ourselves with success and security, but continue to long for more.  Then the Holy Spirit comes to us, shows us the emptiness of our hearts, and leads us to the saving grace of God in Jesus Christ.  Jesus pays the price for our sins, and covers us with His righteousness and peace, so that we may be justified and at peace with God and with ourselves.  When we find this love in Christ, nothing else seems to matter.  We find contentment in the presence of Christ so that we can sing along with Warbucks, “And if tomorrow I’m an apple seller too, I don’t need anything but you!”

SDG

Dealing with Adversity

Posted on by
Reply

“we rejoice in our sufferings…”
Romans 5:3 (ESV)

“Into each life a little rain must fall, some days must be dark and dreary” (Longfellow).  I think we can all understand and agree with Longfellow.  Each of us has known those dark and dreary days; some of us may be facing them even now.  Adversity, persecution, trial and hardship – these are experiences common to everyone, in one way or another.  How we respond, however, defines our character.

Jesus warned his followers that “If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20 ESV).  Facing adversity for your faith, being persecuted for your beliefs, dealing with hardship because of your decision to live in righteousness and peace; all of this is to be expected for those who follow Jesus.  If you are truly living for Christ, you will face persecution.

There are those who, when faced with adversity, react poorly.  In anger they may lash out at those who stand in their way, or in defeat they may resign and run from their problems.  “Fight or Flight” are the two recognized biological responses of all animals facing acute stress. 

There is a third response; it is not biological, it is spiritual.  Romans 5:3-5 tells us to rejoice in our sufferings, “knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

This third way, the way of rejoicing in the midst of suffering, is a work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  It is not natural to us.  But when God is with us, we will face difficulty with:

  • Faithfulness – Consider Job.  He lost everything, his farm, his house, his family – only his wife was left, and she told him to just curse God and die.  Job’s response, however, was one of absolute faithfulness, “the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21 ESV).  The overarching message of Revelation is that in the midst of the calamity, persecution, and general mayhem of the last days, God is still on His throne, and He has a plan of salvation for His people.  In spite of your trials, because of your trials, trust in the Lord.
  • Humility – Every time we face hardship, or we are persecuted by others, it is important for us to humble ourselves before the Lord.  Sometimes the adversity we face may be God’s way of disciplining us, weaning us from sin, teaching us to lean solely on Him.  Ask yourself, “How have I been wrong?  How have I contributed to this problem?  Am I guilty of doing to others the thing that is causing me suffering?”  You may be completely justified, you may be suffering unfairly, but each us of may learn, through humility and a teachable spirit, how to grow and mature through the struggles we face.
  • Grace – How much better would the world be if we treated one another, especially in times of great crisis and stress, with the same grace that God has given to us?  Jesus said in Matthew 10, “Freely you have received, freely give.”  In Jesus we have received the free gift of grace, the salvation from our sins, as God overlooked our sins and transgression to bring us forgiveness.  As He has forgiven and welcomed us, so we are to forgive and welcome one another.  Grace under fire offers forgiveness and seeks forgiveness.
  • Love  – One of the greatest questions we can ask in the midst of our suffering is, “How can I, even in the midst of adversity and trial, show the love of God to those around me?”  In the course of our struggles we come to know how God’s love has been poured into our hearts, until we come to the point of overflowing, so that God’s love spills out into the lives of others.  As we respond to adversity with love, we can encourage and equip those around us to do the same.

Friends, suffering is not easy, nor is it enjoyable; but neither is it without purpose.  Whatever you may be facing today, may God’s Spirit equip you to face the day with Faithfulness, Humility, Grace, and Love, and may your trials bring you closer to the Lord.

SDG