The Voice

What does John the Baptist have to do with the Little Mermaid? Read on to find out in this entry from October 10, 2011!

Jodi Benson turned fifty today- I know because I heard it on  Radio 610 AM's Celebrity Birthday segment as I drove away from school this afternoon. I did not recognize the name but the description of the birthday girl caught my ear. Jodi Benson was the voice of Ariel in The Little Mermaid and that was the topic of my devotional yesterday! A google search revealed that Ms Benson is very well known for her voice work in both movies and video games and today she turns fifty. Let me join my voice to others celebrating this very often heard voice: Happy Birthday, Jodi Benson!

Each spring semester, my Gospels classes watch the Robin Williams' movie, Awakenings, which chronicles the true-life story of a Brooklyn doctor who worked with comatose patients others have ignored for decades with spectacular results, at least in the short term. One of my students two years ago noted that she thought Nurse Costello in the movie was the voice of Marge Simpson of The Simpsons. I'm no fan of that show but I googled it and guess what? Eleanor Costello, the heroine of Awakenings, was played by Julie Kavner who does indeed turn out to be the voice for Marge Simpson. I never would have made that connection.

As we continue our study of John the Baptist in my Bible classes, we note that when he was asked his identity, John quoted Isaiah, the prophet:
"I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.' '' (John 1:23)
There's that concept of a voice again. Jesus himself made references to his voice. He spoke of being the Good Shepherd and that his sheep know his voice. The same is true with parents and their children; we trust the voices which were the first we heard and recognized and loved. I have to ask myself as a teacher and coach- What do my students hear and recognize in my voice? Is it respect and love and acceptance or is it anger and condescension and apathy? In John 10:5, Jesus says his sheep will not follow a stranger because they do not recognize the voice. I'm pretty sure some of those sheep of Jesus are in my classroom and on my team. I pray I'm not a stranger to them.

Applicable quote of the day:
"In the theater, characters have to cut the umbilical cord from the writer and talk in their own voices."
Irwin Shaw

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
http://www.hawleybooks.com/
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com