The Triple Threat

The title says it all.

This is the name of the game, the ultimate goal in performance, the quintessential quality of those worthy of "making it." Though, it's kind of a weird title if you really think about it.  TRIPLE THREAT!   It sounds like what you'd be labeled if you just went through airport security and not only did you put your liquids in a gallon ziplock instead of a quart-sized bag, you also attempted to smuggle aboard finger nail clippers and a leaf blower.  Call the TSA!  We've got a code red Triple Threat!! Cheesy joke? Yes.

Anyways, we all know that to be a triple threat requires you to sing, dance, and act...well...and at the same time.  And that is where the fun part comes in.  On paper, it seems easy enough: just produce the notes, do the steps, and make pretty character faces, right?  We know better.

The Triple Threat performer is a veritable paradox who is able to defy all logic with their RIDICULOUS talent.  Don't believe me?  I've got two words for you.  Jellicle. Ball.   Oh yea.  I may not be a huge fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber but over Thanksgiving I had the privilege of seeing two of my best friends in their final rehearsals of CATS before the tour left NYC for tech week.  Jellicle Ball, for those that aren't familiar with the show, is a group number where almost every cat in the cast comes on stage for a good 10-15 minutes of solid dance...and I'm not talking jazz squares and spirit fingers.  This sequence makes you tired just watching it. Holy. Crap.  Spandex, faux fur, and cat tails flying everywhere!  I wanted a water break afterward and I didn't move from my seat.

But here's the thing: Jellicle Ball isn't the end of the show; it's not even the end of the first act.  There is still stuff to do after that number is over!  I'm sorry, but asking me to do anything other than curl up in fetal position and attempt to breathe after something that aerobically intense is like asking Paula Dean to cook something without butter. It's just not gonna happen.  But "Jellicles do and Jellicles can!"  Here is a group of people who dance their legs off for just a few minutes less than eternity and then continue singing afterwards without sounding like a 70 year old smoker/asthmatic trying to serenade the mailman.  These diva dancers could SING. Triple. Threat.

Yes this is amazing.  And we should take a moment to appreciate how hard it is to be a true Triple Threat.  The crazy thing is, though, audiences rarely accept anything less.  No matter how perfect the dancing of Jellicle Ball was, if everyone quit being cats and collapsed on stage in exhaustion afterward or if homegirl playing Grizabella sings Memory in the key of Get-off-the-stage-and-never-sing-again Major...the audience will be less than enthused.  In order for a musical to work, the singing, dancing, and acting have to be spot on.  CATS with poor acting is boring. CATS with poor singing is awful.  CATS with poor dancing is a living nightmare.  It doesn't matter how much one seemingly conflicts with the other two, the show will not work unless all three are spot on.

So why am I ranting about this?  Over the past month, I kept hearing the phrase "Grace and Truth" over and over again.  At first I didn't think anything of it because...well...let's face it..."Grace and Truth" are thrown around a lot as descriptions of God and I arrogantly like to think I already understand the words "grace" and "truth" pretty well.  But this month various people challenged me to stop and think about the word "and".  It's the most important word in the phrase.  It's what makes the Triple Threat so unique.  We have a world filled with talented singers, actors, and dancers.  We have an exponentially smaller talent pool of people who can sing, dance, and act.  The word "and" changes everything.  So, while I may have thought I understand what the words "grace" and "truth" meant as separate ideas, I never stopped to think how incredible and necessary the combination of these words are.  Here's what I mean: in order to for God to "work" so to speak....He's full of both grace and truth.  If we are going to model Christ and introduce people to him...we must be full of grace and truth. It's gotta be both.  Separating God's grace from God's truth is like trying to perform CATS without one of the three elements of a Triple Threat.  It just won't work.

Grace is unmerited favor.  Grace is accepting someone regardless of what they've done, are doing, or will do.  It is a gift from God for all who accept it.  This is vital.  It means that God doesn't hate people because of their past or current situations.  It means that God loves you more than you could ever know.  It means you can be completely honest and real with the Lord.  It means that no matter what you've done, haven't done, dislike doing, or will eventually do...God offers unconditional love and acceptance.  It means he wants a relationship with you.  It also means that anyone who tells you otherwise...is wrong.  Anyone who doesn't model Christ's compassion and love for the marginalized and rejected...isn't modeling Christ.

Truth is reality.  Truth is what is.  As Dr. Henry Cloud defines it, "truth is the structural aspect...the skeleton life hangs upon; it adds shape to everything in the universe."  This word has been someone tainted because it is thrown around too much.  Real truth is universal.  Gravity pulls on everyone and everything.  New York City is located in the state of New York.  I ate pizza and potato soup for lunch (don't judge me).  It separates fact from feeling and opinion.  Relative truth isn't truth at all....it's something different....and this post is about the real truth.  Napoleon either lived or he didn't.  Abraham Lincoln was either assassinated or he wasn't.  Jesus either walked this earth, died so we could be reconciled with God, and rose from the dead to prove it or he didn't.  Truth is.  Period.   For more on this check out my last post on life's given circumstances.

Too many people misunderstand or misrepresent God as too much of one and not enough of the other.  Without grace, truth is ruthless and devoid of emotion.  Without grace, truth is the very definition of judgmentalism.  On the other hand, without truth, grace is spineless and dangerous.  Without truth, grace offers no depth of relationship and gives license to any behavior.  They must work in tension with each other.  Truth says "you are stepping on my feet during this tango and it hurts..."  Then, Grace says "I'm still going to keep dancing with you...but please don't do that again."  Grace destroys the notion that God hates anyone for any reason or that one person is better than another in God's eyes.  Truth upholds that right and wrong do exist and must be respected.

You need both in any relationship.  So as you are sitting here reading this.  How do you think of God?  Do you think of him as the cosmic right-or-wrong-o-meter?  Do you think of him as emotionless and harsh?  Do you think he hates you?  You are wrong.  God is gracious.  He loves unconditionally.   Do you think God doesn't care what you do?  Do you think that God has no standard or structure to the world and the lives he created?  Do you think that your ability to choose means that any choice is correct?  You are wrong.  God is truthful.  He has set forth principles for entering a relationship and living in relationship with him.    For all of you Christians (myself included):  How do you represent God to others?  Are you the cosmic right-or-wrong-meter?  Are you compassionless and judgmental?  Do you throw out the person with the mistake?  You must be more gracious.  Christians, are you wishy washy?  Do you make the same mistakes over and over without ever doing anything about it?  Do you think that what you do doesn't matter?  You need more truth in your life.

Just like the Jellicle Ball makes singing a little harder, grace and truth are a difficult combo to balance.  The truth is, we all are gonna mess it up.  I have personally messed this up more times than I care to say.  Allow me to apologize on behalf of every Christian you've ever met.  We WILL mess up the balance of grace and truth, invariably hurting others.  I am sorry.  The truth is all human beings mess up.  The truth is we all need grace because that is the only way we can be in relationship with anyone...especially God.  The truth is that it is because of Jesus that we can recieve grace from God and give grace to others.  That's how God designed it to work and he gets to make those decisions.  Truth doesn't negate grace and grace doesn't disregard truth.  It's both.  It's how God works.  It's how we as Christians should strive to live.  And it's what makes the God of the Bible so special.  It is the reason we are able to be in relationship with God at all.  Don't miss it.


^{17 "}For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." --John 1:17 (NIV)