Back in the day, and a long, long time ago, in a galaxy far away (as the saying goes),
Stacy and I enjoyed the occasional documentary (I think they may have referred
to some of them as “rockumentaries”) on VH1 (or maybe MTV?) called ‘Behind the Music.’
For those who might not be familiar, these were behind the scenes looks at famous
musical artists (whether bands or solo performers) in which they discussed the
backgrounds of the artists: Upbringing. Schooling. Early personal and musical
influences. Family history. Highs and lows in life. Their transition to fame. Etcetera. It did
not matter to Stacy and me whether or not we enjoyed the particular genre of music that an
artist produced. To us, it simply was fascinating to hear the life story of someone
whose name we—and the whole world—knew very well. Some were encouraging. Some
were tragic. Overall, however, it was a treat for us to go behind the music.
For the most part, I do not remember the details of the documentaries that we watched.
But one sticks in my brain (and Stacy’s, too). We remember the documentary that focused
on Calvin Cordovar Broadus, Jr., a rapper from southern California. Neither of us cares
for rap, of any variety. And, I feel it necessary to mention as well, we certainly do not
approve of the lifestyle, of the worldview, or of the lyrics of Broadus, Jr. But there is
something that he said all those years ago that has stuck with Stacy and me. When
asked what his goal in life was, he responded “I’m just tryin’ to be the best Snoop Dogg I can
be.”
Even though 20+ years have passed since my wife and I watched that particular
‘Behind the Music,’ we still quote that line. It sometimes comes up in humorous
contexts, and she and I laugh, because we typically remember and recite the quote
simultaneously. But it also appears in circumstances in which we remember that
none of us is called to be what someone else is. Rather, we are called by God to be
holy in what we are right now. We are created by God to live out the calling and
giftedness and condition in which we find ourselves in this life—and to do it in the
best, most godly way possible. Paul addresses this regularly in his
letters (Peter deals with it as well). For instance, Paul writes in 1 Corinthians
12:15-16, “If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the
body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say,
‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any
less a part of the body.” In other words, the foot is as necessary as is the hand as is
the ear as is the eye, &c. If I am a foot, for instance, my role in the kingdom of God is
not to become an eye or a hand or even an elbow. Instead, I am created by God to be
the best foot I can be. So, wherever God has placed us in the body, and in this life, God
intends for us to maximize where we are. Snoop Dogg isn’t the guy that I recommend any of us to
imitate in our walk in this world, but his statement many years ago rings true. As
the people of God, we are created to be “the best [insert ‘body part’ here] that we
can be.”
–Ricky