I'd encourage you to listen to the song and read through the lyrics before diving into the post.
Some Drunk Poet was singing of God and his mercies
Quietly sipping his gin
Painting a picture
Words from a portrait
of Jesus but coming again
And oh sing oh Lord oh grace
And oh sing oh Lord oh grace
Never dismiss the visions of madmen
Wisdom can be gathered from anyone who sees what others cannot
Drunk men tell no tales
Poets cannot lie
Poets cannot lie
Because we do not divide fact from fiction
There’s often more truth in our fantasy worlds and metaphors
than human courts where liars swear to speak honestly
in the name of laws they break
In the name of gods they disobey
The prayers of the proud will never reach heaven
But God hears the slurred words of the stumbling prophets
And all will be cursed who mock them
It is not an easy task to plead with the world
To grieve for the world
Especially since God often speaks through those most broken
The picture we paint in our minds
is a far cry from the reality of heaven
When the saints go marching in
it will not be a parade of the almost perfect
God does not reserve grace for those
who only need a little bit
The healthy are in no need of a doctor
The Healer is for the sick
Heaven will be a freakshow
Promiscuous young men will embrace
the virgin priests who molested them
and their hearts will both be pure
How amazing, is grace
The street corner preacher will be greeted by thousands of people
she thought were not listening
“Thank you for enduring the times we mocked you
Your sidewalk sermons are why we know God”
How amazing, is grace
Aborted children will tug the spotless robes of young women
and say “hello mother, I’m so glad to finally meet you”
The former master will see the lashed back of his no longer slave
and say “you taught me the love of the Savior”
The suicide bomber who prayed for forgiveness
during the millisecond between pressing
the detonator and standing before the throne of God
The guilty thief hanging next to Jesus on the cross
The madman who spoke to invisible beings
will stand between Michael and Gabriel
with a grin as wide as an angel’s wingspan and scream
I KNEW I WASN’T CRAZY!
The Mrs. and the mistress
The victim and the rapist
The foreign and racists
The bullies and the geeks
All of those who somewhere
along the way believed
Whose sins were forgiven
and strength was given to love their enemies
So many we swore there is no way in hell
we would see them in heaven
But they will be there
We will be there
with a song our lips
and our eyes full of faith
and we’ll sing
How amazing, is grace
Some Drunk Poet was singing of God and his mercies
Quietly sipping his gin
Painting a picture
Words from a portrait
of Jesus but coming again
And oh sing oh lord oh grace
And oh sing oh lord oh grace
15 - Freakshow (FT Kevin & Anya Looper)
Some Drunk Poet was singing of God and his mercies
Quietly sipping his gin
Painting a picture
Words from a portrait
of Jesus but coming again
And oh sing oh Lord oh grace
And oh sing oh Lord oh grace
Freakshow was written over a course of several years and inspired by several different seasons in life. The initial spark though came from Kevin and Anya Looper, a husband and wife folk-music duo. I was featuring at an open mic in Denver, Colorado when the Loopers took the stage. The first line of their song arrested my attention, “Some drunk poet was singing of God and his mercies, quietly sipping his gin.” Those lyrics spoke volumes to me. I saw a vivid image of a grungy-looking alcoholic, stumbling down the street, softly singing “Amazing Grace” between sips of gin. That image was such a perfect picture of what I believe the grace of God to be. Afterwards, I asked the Loopers if I could one day pair their song with a poem. They agreed. It took me years to get it right but here it finally is.
Never dismiss the visions of madmen
Wisdom can be gathered from anyone who sees what others cannot
Drunk men tell no tales
Poets cannot lie
Poets cannot lie
Because we do not divide fact from fiction
There’s often more truth in our fantasy worlds and metaphors
than human courts where liars swear to speak honestly
in the name of laws they break
In the name of gods they disobey
The prayers of the proud will never reach heaven
But God hears the slurred words of the stumbling prophets
And all will be cursed who mock them
It is not an easy task to plead with the world
To grieve for the world
Especially since God often speaks through those most broken
It is a weighty task to be a voice of truth in a time like this. With so much widespread corruption, those courageous enough to speak truth are often slandered and sometimes physically attacked. For medical reasons, I’m not able to consume alcohol, but I often find myself thinking, “I need a stiff drink.” I often feel like that drunk poet singing about the mercies of God to a crowd of people who mock or ignore me, and yet, I know the words I speak have changed lives. The prophetic voices that pierce through all the noise are not the overly confident ones, but the voices of broken people who recognize the brokeness in themselves and the world, and have a heart to do something about it. In “Freakshow” I say, “the prayers of the proud will never reach heaven, but God hears the slurred words of the stumbling prophets. And all will be cursed who mock them.” This is a reference to a parable of Jesus below.
“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted” ( Luke 18:10 -14).
God is not impressed by arrogant, religious people who consider themselves better than their fellow humans. God hears, responds to, and partners with the humble, the social outcasts, the poor, the ones who know they’ve made mistakes. “It is not an easy task to plead with the world, to grieve for the world, especially since God often speaks through those most broken.” As referenced in verse three of the song “I Got Joy,” this lyric was also inspired by these words from the Bible
“For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (1st Corinthians 1:26 -29).
There is a common saying in America, “God works in mysterious ways”. One of those beautiful mysteries is that the people who often feel the least capable and qualified are chosen to do the most important work. The drunk poet is entrusted with the song of mercy and grace and hope.
The picture we paint in our minds
is a far cry from the reality of heaven
When the saints go marching in
it will not be a parade of the almost perfect
God does not reserve grace for those
who only need a little bit
The healthy are in no need of a doctor
The Healer is for the sick
In every culture, there are certain people who are considered beyond redemption. They are too dirty, too ugly, too other, too disgusting. If you want to be considered a moral person with an honorable reputation, culture tells you to avoid these people. Jesus however refused to live by those rules. He refused to consider anyone beneath him. The sad irony is that many people who consider themselves followers of Jesus are often judgemental, as they look at non christians or people who made certain type of mistakes as contaminated. Jesus was never accused of being judgmental, in fact, he was accused of just the opposite. His critics considered him a hypocrite for claiming to be a holy messenger from God but hanging out with such sinful people. They asked him “‘Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?’ And Jesus answered them ‘ Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick’” (Luke 5:30-31). Jesus masterfully shuts down his critics with this simple and profound response. The message of hope in this broken and unjust world is not for people who have never made mistakes and have comfortable lives, the message of hope is for those who feel hopeless. For those who feel unforgivable and forgotten. After all, “The healthy are in no need of a doctor. The healer is for the sick.” Faith is not for morally impeccable people who seek to be rewarded for their goodness. It is a radical message of healing and new life for those who believe themselves irreparable.
Heaven will be a freakshow
Promiscuous young men will embrace
the virgin priests who molested them
and their hearts will both be pure
How amazing, is grace
The street corner preacher will be greeted by thousands of people
she thought were not listening
“Thank you for enduring the times we mocked you
Your sidewalk sermons are why we know God”
How amazing, is grace
Aborted children will tug the spotless robes of young women
and say “hello mother, I’m so glad to finally meet you”
The former master will see the lashed back of his no longer slave
and say “you taught me the love of the Savior”
The suicide bomber who prayed for forgiveness
during the millisecond between pressing
the detonator and standing before the throne of God
The guilty thief hanging next to Jesus on the cross
The above section of the poem ought to make you uncomfortable. I intentionally pair people who under no circumstance within human nature could enjoy any sense of friendship or community. It is disturbing and even wrong to some, to envision a young man embracing the older man who molested him as a child. Or a woman treating the man who once raped her as a brother. Especially if you have been the victim of a terrible crime, I understand anyone who rejects this idea. As a follower of Jesus however, I’ve become convinced that the core of my faith is learning how to love your enemy. When you can see the humanity even in those who commit the most inhumane acts, you’re beginning to see with the eyes of God. When you can love those who have most wounded you, you are beginning to understand the love of God. This type of love requires divine perspective and power, because it is natural to hate our enemies, but I believe the only hope for humanity is to rise above our nature and tap into supernatural healing power and hope, bringing the kingdom of God to earth. The kingdom of God offers forgiveness to the worst of the worst. It invites the outcasts to be part of the family. It reconciles people who once hated each other and makes them brothers and sister in the family of God. Jesus said
“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To the one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also… If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.. But love your enemies, and do good and lend expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:27-36).
It is important to note that I do not believe this teaching of Jesus is encouraging people to stay in abusive relationships. It is clear throughout Jesus’ life and teachings that he offers sever warning to anyone who judges and hurts women, children, the poor, and the most vulnerable in society. Jesus’ love of enemy, I believe is talking about the posture of your heart. When you understand the love of God, your heart is set on a restorative divine justice, not a punitive justice or revenge. You do not seek to kill evil people, but rescue innocent people from their power, as well as work towards the healing of the evil person’s broken soul, turning your enemies into your allies by extending the love, forgiveness and healing of God. It is illogical to ask people to have warm and positive feeling toward their abusers. This is not what Jesus is saying. Martin Luther King explains in a sermon delivered at the Detroit council of churches
“I think this is what Jesus means when he says, ‘Love your enemies.’ And I’m so happy he didn’t say, ‘Like your enemies,’ because it’s kind of difficult to like some people. Like is sentimental; like is an affectionate sort of thing. And you can’t like anybody who’s bombing your home and threatening your children. It’s hard to like a senator who’s spending all of his time in Washington standing against all of the legislation that will make for better relationships and that will make for brotherhood. It’s difficult to like them. But Jesus says, ‘Love them,’ and love is greater than like. Love is understanding, redemptive, creative goodwill for all men. And so Jesus was expressing something very creative when he said, ‘Love your enemies. Bless them that curse you. Pray for them that despitefully use you.’”
This type of thinking comes from a spiritual conviction that love is stronger than all the evil, hate and injustice in the world. I personally believe that simply seeking to kill and punish evil people will be a never ending, unfulfilling task. Responding to evil with love is a challenging and hopeful call that allows you to witness the miraculous transformational power of the love of God.
The madman who spoke to invisible beings
will stand between Michael and Gabriel
with a grin as wide as an angel’s wingspan and scream
I KNEW I WASN’T CRAZY!
This is a reference back to the opening lines of the poem, “Never dismiss the visions of madmen. Wisdom can be gathered from anyone who sees what others cannot.” Be it artists, spiritual leaders, philosophers, or the homeless man on the street, when people see the world different from the dominant culture in which they live, they are considered insane. Yet it is often those same people that move society forward, make society better. Historically speaking, so many artists and prophetic figures were mocked, criticized, and rejected during their lifetime, only to be revered posthumously. The poem starts out with a madman who sees visions. In the early books of the old testament scriptures, prophets were simply called “seers”. A seer is not just someone who tells the future. A seer is a person whose eyes are open to spiritual realities that not everyone can see. A seer is a person with an understanding of truth that is deep and uncommon. In this climactic line in the poem, the madman who endured a life of ridicule, finally feels validated when he gets to heaven and is standing between Michael and Gabriel, two angels mentioned by name in the Bible. His visions were indeed true, he was not a madman afterall. Turns out, the freaks in the freakshow are not the crazy ones. They are the ones who see things as they really are.
The Mrs. and the mistress
The victim and the rapist
The foreign and racists
The bullies and the geeks
All of those who somewhere
along the way believed
Whose sins were forgiven
and strength was given to love their enemies
So many we swore there is no way in hell
we would see them in heaven
But they will be there
We will be there
with a song our lips
and our eyes full of faith
and we’ll sing
How amazing, is grace
The community of faithful people both in heaven and on this side of eternity is a freakshow. It is full of victims and perpetrators of injustice who have all found forgiveness, hope, new life and reconciliation in the grace of God. A former slave trader named John Newton became convicted of the horror of his business, quit the slave industry and wrote what is arguably the most popular Christian song in the English speaking world, “Amazing Grace”. The message of “Freakshow” reflects the same spirit of grace found in Newton’s story and lyrics. “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.” As a black American descendant of slaves, I would not rather have Newton burn in hell. I am so glad he was confronted with his sin and embraced the forgiveness and grace of God. I welcome him and others like him into the radical community of drunken poets, forgiven sinners, enemy lovers. I welcome everyone to join the freakshow.
Some Drunk Poet was singing of God and his mercies
Quietly sipping his gin
Painting a picture
Words from a portrait
of Jesus but coming again
And oh sing oh lord oh grace
And oh sing oh lord oh grace
Grace and Peace,
Micah
