An Unlikely Pair: Part 1

Today I wish to write about two singers here in South Africa. The one's music can best be described as 80's bubblegum technopop and the other's as deep, nostalgic and evocative. There are few who would put them on the same level.

Recently a new album came out in which the two singers perform a duet. I was highly skeptical, because in my mind there is no way these two can be paired together. Ever.

However... not only was I wrong, I was shocked, because the duet is brilliant. It combines both singers' skills and styles and took a completely different turn from what I expected. The result is a beautifully melodic folksong that makes me want to dance in a meadow full of flowers and play Simon and Garfunkel songs all day.

My point (beside the fact that I was wrong) is this: It would be easy to say, "If you want to sing with me you need to do it exactly how I want you to do it." In other words, be exactly like me because my way is the best way. And this goes beyond singing into all areas of life. When people don't behave as we think they ought to we are quick to criticise, judge, or worse - disregard them completely.

But what if instead we pooled our gifts and abilities, combined the best of what we each bring to the table in order to create something greater than what we could produce as individuals? What if we focused on each other's strengths instead of pointing out what we don't like? I think there is some huge potential here, especially in South Africa.

"If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be... Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." - I Corinthians 12:17-18, 27

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds." - Hebrews 10:24