If you know me, then you know I have a deep love and appreciation for all things theatre (yes when referring to it as an art form, it is spelled with "re"), especially Broadway. Because of that, every June I make a special effort to watch the annual Tony awards, which celebrate the best in the past season of productions on Broadway. In fact, it is the only awards show that I watch from start to finish. This year's production, which was hosted for the fourth consecutive time by Neil Patrick Harris, was the best I could think of in recent years as far as entertainment goes. All of the best of Broadway were present, and the award acceptance speeches are always the best because, well, they are all performers.
This year, one acceptance speech stood out to me when the recipient spoke passionately about his mother. The actor, Billy Porter, was receiving the award for Best Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Lola in the musical Kinky Boots. The part of the speech that I appreciated was when speaking about his mother, he said:
"you are the personification of true Christianity, your willingness to embrace that which you don't understand with unconditional love is a template that the world could benefit from employing, and your courage gives me life, and I love you."
One doesn't have to think much to determine what Mr. Porter was speaking about. Though I do not know his mother, she seems like a person that we all could learn much from. She appears to be a woman that embodies what it means to show Christ-like love to others, even when we do not understand or agree with their choices. So much so, that she has the love, respect, and admiration of her son while in the midst of the biggest moment of his life and career.
Just as Mr. Porter's mother shows unconditional love to her son, I am reminded of the life Jesus lived and the command he gave in Matthew 22:39, "And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Over and over again during his ministry, Jesus intentionally engaged with people who society said were outcasts, people who were not to be dealt with: The Samaritan woman (John 4), reaching out to touch the leper (Matthew 8:1-4), engaging with a blind man that the crowds rebuked (Luke 18:35-42), and even eating with tax collectors and "sinners" (Mark 2:15-17). Over and over again we see Jesus purposely going to those people that everyone else said to stay away from because they were either evil, unclean, immoral, or not worth the time. In every encounter Jesus shows love unconditionally to these people because he doesn't view them by the label which society has placed upon them, but rather by what they truly are, children of God.
I am grateful for individuals like Billy Porter's mother, who despite things they may not be able to understand or agree with, continue to see others as they truly are, children of the living God. May we all be able to show the same unconditional love to all those we encounter, that they may say that we too are "the personification of true Christianity."
This year, one acceptance speech stood out to me when the recipient spoke passionately about his mother. The actor, Billy Porter, was receiving the award for Best Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Lola in the musical Kinky Boots. The part of the speech that I appreciated was when speaking about his mother, he said:
"you are the personification of true Christianity, your willingness to embrace that which you don't understand with unconditional love is a template that the world could benefit from employing, and your courage gives me life, and I love you."
One doesn't have to think much to determine what Mr. Porter was speaking about. Though I do not know his mother, she seems like a person that we all could learn much from. She appears to be a woman that embodies what it means to show Christ-like love to others, even when we do not understand or agree with their choices. So much so, that she has the love, respect, and admiration of her son while in the midst of the biggest moment of his life and career.
Just as Mr. Porter's mother shows unconditional love to her son, I am reminded of the life Jesus lived and the command he gave in Matthew 22:39, "And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Over and over again during his ministry, Jesus intentionally engaged with people who society said were outcasts, people who were not to be dealt with: The Samaritan woman (John 4), reaching out to touch the leper (Matthew 8:1-4), engaging with a blind man that the crowds rebuked (Luke 18:35-42), and even eating with tax collectors and "sinners" (Mark 2:15-17). Over and over again we see Jesus purposely going to those people that everyone else said to stay away from because they were either evil, unclean, immoral, or not worth the time. In every encounter Jesus shows love unconditionally to these people because he doesn't view them by the label which society has placed upon them, but rather by what they truly are, children of God.
I am grateful for individuals like Billy Porter's mother, who despite things they may not be able to understand or agree with, continue to see others as they truly are, children of the living God. May we all be able to show the same unconditional love to all those we encounter, that they may say that we too are "the personification of true Christianity."
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