4 minute read
In the 1930s, British bandleader Ray Noble wrote a song called “Cherokee.” It’s a fun, jaunty swing tune featuring a simple, upbeat melody. In 1939, Charlie Barnet and His Orchestra recorded “Cherokee,” and it became a hit, reaching number fifteen on the pop charts.
The song became such a popular standard with musicians, bandleaders, and singers that “Cherokee” since it was written almost ninety years ago, it has been recorded hundreds of times. Hundreds. Hundreds of different versions of the same song.
But here’s the thing: none of the recordings are the same. None.
Some are played fast—way faster than old man Barnet’s version.
Some are played slow—turning the happy tune into something more like a dirge.
Some feature saxophones. Some feature trumpets. Some feature female singers. Some, male. A few feature vibraphones (the “vibes” is a cool, jazzy xylophone of which I’m a big fan).
There are renowned versions by Clifford Brown and Max Roach, Donna Hightower, Art Tatum, and a particularly fun one by Buddy Rich and Lionel Hampton (King of the Vibes!).
The most famous version of “Cherokee” ever, though, was recorded in 1943 by Charlie “Bird” Parker, a wildly inventive Kansas City jazz saxophonist. His take on “Cherokee” is so out there—so full of crazy, inspired, “where did that come from?" improvisation—that it’s infamous in jazz history as the moment the form shifted from “playing the notes on the page” to “playing the notes between and around and under and over the notes on the page too.”
Bird’s version was stunning because he took the song… and make it completely his own.
One song. Hundreds of versions. Each one similar in that they stick to the core melody and tune, but each unique, played in different ways, with different featured instruments, different emphases, and different styles.
Which one is the “right” version of “Cherokee”?
None of them.
Or, rather, all of them.
Same song, different expressions.
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Growing up in church, I always heard that God had a plan for all of our lives and that plan centered on making us each just like Jesus.
That sounds pretty great, right? Pure and good and doing the right things at the right times for the right reasons and not doing mean things like cussing people out, stealing dough, or throwing puppies.
But, to be honest, whenever I heard that… it kind of freaked me out. It scared me. Because, to me, it sounded like God’s plan for each of us was to turn us into Jesus clones. Brain-dead zombies. Xerox copies.
We’d all be just like Jesus which would mean… we’d all be the same.
No personality. No uniqueness. No… me. (Whatever being “me” really means…)
But as I’ve grown and followed Jesus more over time, I’ve come to realize that, yes, God’s plan is to make us all like Jesus (“conformed into the image of His son” it says in Romans 8:29). That’s undoubtable. But that’s not the whole picture of what He wants to do in us.
We’re all meant to be transformed more and more into Jesus—in ways specific to us.
God’s not out to strip us of our unique predilections, interests, callings, and personalities.
We are each meant to be like Jesus… but to become unique expressions of Jesus. Expressions unique to how God made each and every one of us.
Just like all those musicians played the same song—“Cherokee”—but played it in their own way, in their own style, with their own unique take, we are each meant to live out Jesus on this earth in our own way, in our own style, with our unique take.
Yes, there are some immutable aspects of being like Jesus that will be the same for all of us—just like you can’t change the core melody of “Cherokee” and it still be “Cherokee.” We’re not being our own “unique expression of Jesus” when we’re doing things like living selfishly, denying God’s truth, being irresponsible, or not forgiving others. Those aren’t part of the “Jesus song” God wants to sing through us.
But in those places where we’re free to improvise and make God’s song our own, I believe He wants us to do just that.
How God expresses Jesus through you—say, a stay-at-home mom of three in Dallas who loves playing rec league soccer, Thai food, and being a great listener to friends—is going to be different from how God expresses Jesus through someone else—say, an insurance broker from Moline who’s quiet, loves to do acts of service, smile at strangers, and occasionally bowl.
Which one is better? Neither. Or rather, both of them.
All. All of us. All of us expressing God’s “Jesus song” in ways unique to us.
For me, that means expressing Jesus to the world as a middle-age-ish guy in Denver who coaches people on how to talk, speaks, has come to grips with being an introvert, and likes reading, strawberry ice cream, and old Swedish movies.
Just like Charlie “Bird” Parker—and so many others—played “Cherokee” in their own unique way, so we’re meant to uniquely express Christ to the watching world.
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How has God made you unique?
In what ways does God express the good, kind, wise, loving heart of Jesus through you and your life—in a way that’s different from anyone else?
How can better own how you “play” Jesus’ song for the world your own individual way today?