Inspiration. What is it? How does it work? How do you give it to other people? Of course it is somewhat of a subjective thing. Perhaps the answer for each of us lies in asking ourselves what inspires us.
What prompted these questions was the plane crash which took the life of John Denver just a few weeks ago. It was not just the fact that his death was untimely; it was the idea that the world is now one source less for contemporary inspiration.
I have been a fan of his since the mid 60s when he joined the Mitchell Trio (after Chad Mitchell departed from it). The Chad Mitchell Trio was so popular that after an appearance in Peoria (where I was privileged to see them) the newspaper gave an even more enthusiastic review of them than Bob Newhart, who appeared on the same show.
Denver proved to be an excellent replacement; their Violets of Dawn album (a terrific combination of serious singing and humor, such as “Your Friendly, Liberal, Neighborhood Ku Klux Klan”) still ranks as one of my all-time favorites, along with The Mitchell Trio Live, which is replete with humorous selections about Ronald Reagan, George Wallace, Adam Clayton Powell, and even the “God is Dead” theology.
When Denver became a solo singer, he began with a number one hit, called “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” If nothing else, the song inspired a multitude of bumper stickers, which claimed: “Almost heaven, West Virginia.” That song was followed by “Rocky Mountain High,” which proposed a healthy alternative to drugs. 1974 proved to be a banner year with “Sunshine on My Shoulders,” “Annie’s Song,” and “Back Home Again.”
Toward the end of his appearances on Billboard’s Top Forty came a matter-of-fact, philosophical song, which few have probably ever heard, called “Some Days Are Diamonds (Some Days Are Stone).” The title pretty wells sums it up, and I was thinking of both aspects of it (the sadness surrounding his death and the optimism of life conveyed in his music) when from the other room came a familiar tune from the stereo. Apparently Barb had been thinking along the same lines I had (though we hadn’t discussed it), and she had played what I regard as his most inspiring song–a tribute to Jacques Cousteau, named after his ship, “Calypso.”
Our ears and minds are assaulted daily with accounts of sordid and heinous acts. Sometimes a person cannot help but wonder how much more depraved human beings can become before the final judgment, but then along comes a song like Calypso, and our minds are focused on the positive achievements of mankind. There remains a thirst for knowledge, inventiveness, advancement, a living up to the potential God created us with.
“Calypso” is the kind of song that makes you want to stand up and cheer, that makes you proud (for a change) to be a human being, that inspires you to also want to accomplish something good, if not great. It imparts a healthy optimism and a happy confidence of the possibilities that exist–if only we would use our time to good advantage and apply our intellect.
Tragedy As A Source of Inspiration
Ironically, tragedy itself has often been a source for inspiration. On February 3rd, 1959, an airplane crashed outside of Clear Lake, Iowa. In addition to the pilot’s death were those of J. P. Richardson (a novelty artist known as “The Big Bopper”), Ritchie Valens (whose “Donna” and “La Bamba” still receive airplay), and Buddy Holly, one of the pioneers of Rock N Roll (for better or for worse). Twelve years later Don McLean, inspired by that and other events, would write in his history of Rock N Roll classic, “Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie”:
But February made me shiver
With ev’ry paper I’d deliver.
Bad news on the doorstep,
I couldn’t take one more step.
I can’t remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride;
Something touched me deep inside
The day the music died.
Tragedy may produce harmony, which is what occurred at the conclusion of the Academy Award-winning movie West Side Story. The senseless killings and Maria’s speech questioning the value of hatred finally bring about a temporary truce between the rival gangs.
A tragedy may bequeath great beauty. Horatio G. Spafford suffered a loss that would have crushed most men; his wife and four daughters were crossing the Atlantic when their ship was struck by another vessel. Only his wife survived. Sailing across the ocean to join her, he wrote the lyrics to “It Is Well With My Soul” near the scene of the daughters’ deaths (see William J. Reynolds, Hymns of Our Faith (227-28):
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll,
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Most of us can only hope that, if something similar were to befall us, we might emerge with a generous measure of the faith and strength this man had.
The death of Jesus (which serves as the greatest example of this point) was tragic in that He had done nothing worthy of death. His resurrection bore witness to His innocence. Out of this abysmal and despicable crime comes the salvation of our souls.
Fainting Not
Another source of inspiration is the realization that hard work is rewarding. The movie Chariots of Fire profiles two athletes who win Olympic medals in 1924. Their characters and their motivations are entirely different; however, they both work hard to accomplish their goals, and in the end they realize their ambitions.
The viewer realizes that both victories come at a great cost; sacrifices had to be made. Eric admits, “I’ve hurt someone I love very much.” Harold chides the administration: “You think that victory can be achieved with the apparent effortlessness of gods.” No, great success demands great diligence.
If we want to be faithful Christians, an example for others to follow, we must work at it. Mature Christians do not just happen. If we want to be like some of the great congregations in the brotherhood (or even like Thessalonica–1 Thess. 1:5-10), a great amount of effort must be expended. The Scriptures corroborate this idea. “Be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58).
Yes, there are times of discouragement, and there are days in which it certainly looks as though all of our efforts are for nought. For this reason we are encouraged to continue the fight; there shall surely be a great harvest, and when it comes, we will be happy that we did not quit. All of the work will seem as nothing compared to the blessings we shall receive.
How To Be Remembered
Some day we will depart from this life, and those who knew us will reflect upon our lives. How do we wish to be recalled? We have probably all heard comments such as, “It was difficult not to want to do right when she was around,” “He determined as a young man that he wanted to go to heaven; he opened his arms wide and tried to take as many people with him as he could,” or “She’s the reason I became a Christian; I could try to resist the Scriptures, but I couldn’t argue against the power of a committed life.”
Will the world really mourn Hugh Heffner when he dies (perhaps the “world” will); will they lament all the “good” he did for society? Are most people really concerned that Mad. Murray O’Hair has disappeared? Does anybody miss Richard Speck?
I already miss Celia Hobbs, and I didn’t even know her. Jody Apple writes in his August “Philadelphia Report” a few endearing things about this 99-year-old relative (and member of the body of Christ). “She hosted Bible studies in her apartment into her 90s. She always wrote and called and encouraged friends to attend Bible studies and worship.” She observed matter-of-factly: “The church isn’t doing its job if there are still Buddhists in the world.” Then she obtained an encyclopedia and studied the subject so she could teach two young Buddhists about Jesus.
The value of a positive life may be vastly underrated. Inspiration is always enjoyed and appreciated; each of us should consider the positive effects that we can have in the lives of others.
*Send comments or questions concerning this article to Gary Summers. Please refer to this article as: “INSPIRATION (“SOME DAYS ARE DIAMONDS”) (11/2/97).”