Melting Walls

Melting Walls

Peter Cooper has written a beautiful tribute to bluegrass icon Earl Scruggs in the Thursday morning edition of The Tennessean.  In it, he quotes Marty Stuart as describing Earl as ”a man who melted walls, and he did it without saying three words.” 

Here’s a fellow who had an unprecedented talent with the banjo and played for 84 years of his 88.  While his fingers smoked on those strings, that’s not what melted the walls.  According to the reporter, Earl had a knack for simply going and playing his fabulous banjo—with lots of different artists of many genres.  He’d just go and play.  Long haired, short haired, similar and very different, popular or highly controversial, he’d just go and play.  The banjo!  With the likes of Joan Baez and Elton John, for instance.  I realized how much I may tend to place people in a box, simply because it sounds so refreshingly uncommon.  He’d just show up and play, with no agenda but doing what he was meant to do, the best he could, and as open-minded as he could be.  He shared without being judgmental, and it made a difference.  Even though he was criticized and condemned by some of his peers for crossing “boundaries.”

I have no idea what Earl’s religious persuasion was.  I’m sure I could google it, but it doesn’t really matter.  Sounds to me like he lived out Ephesians 2:10.  “For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.  Earl used his talent, persevered, and melted walls of difference.  How cool is that?  What a loving, accepting testimony.

Rest in peace, Earl.  We thank God for God’s gift to us, through your music and your witness.  May we all be wall-melters.

Grace and joy,

Julie