Being Interesting 09 - Try On Some Different Shoes

I think there may not be a better way to get a fresh take on a familiar story than to view it from a different person's perspective, walking in their shoes, so to speak. I think this is particularly true when trying to see things from the perspective of a person who is lower in social standing, such as women or slave characters. Rather than talk about Abraham's life through his eyes, have you ever considered it from Sarah's perspective?

Can you imagine being told by your husband:
"We're going to be moving."
"Where?"
"I don't know. God'll tell us when we get there."
"How long will it take?"
"I have no idea."
"But what's wrong with where we are?"
"Nothing. But God's telling us to move, so we're gonna move."

Or when traveling through a foreign land, "Hey, I'm not going to tell anyone I'm married to you. We're going to tell them you're my sister." Imagine the fear of being taken away from your family to the royal palace where who knows what you might be expected to do; particularly as your husband denies being married to you.

Or what about the day that your husband tells you he's going to take your precious only child to a mountain and kill him to "worship God." Abraham got the benefit of an angel to stop him, but don't forget that Sarah was still at home, waiting for his return, expecting he had just murdered their first child...if he even filled her in on the details before he left.

It is quite a different point of view!

I wanted to share as an example of this approach in a song by a college friend of mine named Matthew Wright (a.k.a. "Fiji"). He used to perform a lot around HU doing mostly Christian-oriented acoustic rock. It's written about Jesus from the perspective of a Roman soldier. I think there's no better way to experience it than to hear him sing it, but the words still speak powerfully. Matt was kind enough to share the lyrics with me so I could post them here.

I'm just a Roman Soldier walking up this hill
I remember him coming up towards me in such pain and agony
Such pain and agony
I nailed his hands into the Cross
I nailed his feet into the Cross
And every time I pounded he cried so loud

But He knew and He loved and He wanted you set free from the sin like a cage that binds you and me

But I'm just a Roman Soldier standing on this hill
I remember He forgave us all
He said, "Lord forgive them. They know not what they do."
He forgave us all
And then He died
I pierced His side
He had no pride
He did not hide from the fact that He loved us all
He loved us all

And He knew and He loved and He wanted you set free from the sin like a cage that binds you and me

But I'm just a Roman Soldier looking off this hill
I remember they took His body away
And they rolled a stone right over the grave
And I watched that grave for three days and nights
I watched that grave with all my might
And I don't know what happened
Don't ask me what happened
I know just one thing
One thing
He rose
He rolled the stone away
He rose to live another day

I want to believe in you oh God
I want to go where your feet have trod
Give me a strength that is so true
Are you really the King of the Jews?

You know and you love and you want to set me free from the sin like a cage that binds me

But hey, I'm just a Roman Soldier