Firework II: The Video

Ever play the game of "If Only?"  I bet you know how it goes.  If only I were thin, then I would be lovable.  If only I had hair and was a normal kid, then I would be lovable.  If only I did what my neighbors and friends thought was cool, then I would be lovable.  If only I were straight?  If only I could change this one thing about myself...

From a decidedly secular source, we hear a response to this question that is surprisingly, radically Christian.  (Watch the video here, be inspired by the lyrics.)  This song and video is inspiring to me, not just because it has a good beat and is empowering, but because it is so profoundly Dehonian.  There is something here to reflect on in prayer.  (And, as a Catholic, I was surprised to see such a profound statement of the value of all human life from such a mainstream source:  did anyone else notice the fireworks coming from the unborn child?)

4th of July - 2010 - Photo By Author

The question is not "If only?"  For Fr. Dehon the starting place in our relationship to God was his love for us.  As we are.  And that is just the start.  There is no need to change who we are to receive God's love.  Stay with that.  It is hard for us to hear.  We are so used to people who try to change a little bit here, or a little bit there in an attempt to help us fit in, to make us lovable.  It is worth writing and reading a second time.  There is no need to change who we are to receive God's love.

The question is not whether God loves us as we are.  The question is:  how do we respond to God's love and be the person, the firework, that we were meant to be?  As a Dehonian, it is my life's calling to learn how to do that, to witness to that, or, to use the language we Dehonians use:  to make my life an offering to reflect the great richness of love contained in the Heart of Christ.

I'm reminded of a woman I knew who was overweight and thought she was ugly.  Because of this, she had a tough time accepting the fact she was going to be a beautiful bride.  She resigned herself to being a "Plus Bride".  (!)  Who decided that a such a "special" adjective is needed, anyway?  (Not God, that's for sure.)  Of course, the message is clear:  lovable brides are not plus sized.  Well, she got over it and rocked the reception!  My favorite moment was when she took to the dance floor with her new husband as a song began to boom, both hands joyfully raised in the air.  Talk about booming and even brighter than the moon!  (Even the moon was sick and pale with grief...)  I enjoyed simply basking in the light of her witness to the beautiful person and firework God had made. 

Moments such as that, and videos such as Firework, are excellent reminders that every person is original and not to be replaced.  Both invite us to consider the fundamental dignity of the human person.  (For more on this:  see previous post.)

There are two things about the video which give me pause, which I guess is another way of saying that they give me something to think and pray about.

First of all, and most importantly, I noticed the boy shoving an adult man twice his size to protect his mother and sister from violence.  That is an inspiring scene for a video, but in reality it is very dangerous.  Anyone in a similar situation who sees this video:  let it inspire you to find a way to intervene that doesn't put yourself at risk of getting hurt.  There are adults you can trust.  Seek out a trusted teacher, minister, nurse, or doctor.  Simply to talk to them takes great courage.  They know that and will find a way to help you that keeps you as safe as possible.

Two other scenes provoked a great deal of discussion among my friends and colleages.  For me, the scenes are related to each other:  the young woman joining her friends in the pool, and the two young men kissing on the dance floor.  For both the woman and young men I'm worried that the potential for finding their firework might get lost in conformity. 

I saw the young woman as being confident enough in herself not to care what others think.  She chose not to conform by ignoring what her peers might think and jumping in the pool.  I think that is good and holy.  In a related way, I acknowledge those women who choose not to conform by refusing to be objectified.  A woman I work with put it this way:  "So, what, I'm only liberated and free if I show my body to everybody?"  In the end, I think it is the mark of good art when contrasting points of view are surfaced. 

In a like manner, the two young men kissing prompted much disscussion, and I've spent some time reflecting about that scene.  Nobody should conform by hiding or denying the person God created them to be.  This video captures that well.  There are too many young men and women who commit suicide because they are constantly told there is something wrong with them, that something is broken, that are are loveable if only. 

The danger is a society that tells them that a dance floor hook up will satisfy their need to love and be loved.  I can't help it.  I was raised in South Dakota, with what many would call old fashioned values.  Heck, I'm a Catholic.  It doesn't matter if it is two men, two women, or a woman and a man:  bodies are to be reverenced and belong to a person who deserves dignity, not being treated like a piece of meat.  Too often, that is what the dance floor becomes:  the proverbial "meat market."  And, it doesn't matter who the couple is, the true firework of sex is the result, just as is shown so well in the video:  a baby about to be born, sparks everywhere, lighting up the room, and saying to the world:  I am here, I am a firework of God.

Regarding both scenes of the video, I am reminded of the words of a priest I once heard:  God created us, and God doesn't create junk.  So, let's not reduce a person to their junk.  In fact:  it isn't junk, and has a purpose:  to produce the firework of life.