Sunday Matinee #88 Crazy Heart
Bad badmouths badly...
James 3:1-12 | EnterTheBible.org
Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost | 09.15.2024
Context: At the heart of the letter, the writer lifts up several examples of how we speak to one another. Building on his earlier thesis that faith without works is dead, he posits that a tongue used for evil speech is antithetical to living out faith.
How great a forest is set ablaze by a such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of life, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, 8 but no one can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless the Lord and Creator, and with it we curse people, made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth comes a blessing and a curse. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so.
Crazy Heart | 2009
IMDb | Letterboxd | RRMC
Context: A star back in his day, country singer/songwriter Otis “Bad” Blake has landed a spot as the opener for one of his former mentees turned country superstar, Tommy Sweet (Colin Farrell). While setting up a soundcheck in a gigantic stadium the likes of which Bad has never truly played, he exchanges words with the sound designer, Bear (J. Michael “Yak” Oliva). Bad cuts off the band and talks to Bear through the microphone.
Bad: No, no, no. Bear! Bear! I need kick and snare. Turn down the dang guitars. You’re drowning out my lyrics.
Bear: The mix is good, man. You can’t hear what I’m hearing out here.
Bad: Yeah, you’d be surprised. Set it the way I tell you, and leave it.
Bear: The mix is just fine, man. Trust me on this.
Bad: Bear… I’m an old man. I get grumpy. Humor me.
Bad turns to the band and lowers his voice, but it’s still going out over the mic and Bear hears him.
Bad: Damn sound man. They try to fuck up the opening act, you know, make the headliner sound that much better. That’s their fuckin’ job.
Bear: You’ve got another half hour there, cowboy.
Bad: Hey there, partner, we’re gonna be up on this stage ‘til we get the mix the way I want it.
Commentary:
Are we really partners if we’re going to disparage each other?
In this passage from James, the writer warns about the power of the tongue, explaining that although small, it can cause great harm instead of great good. We can use it to bless… or curse. So what are we to do? If we strive to use our words to build others up instead of tear them down, amazing things can happen. But that’s the paradox of life, isn’t it? We have one mouth and can use it for good or evil. The same mouth that whispers, “I love you” is the same mouth that can shout, “Go to hell!” There is a spiritual responsibility with such a tool at our disposal.
Let your tongue be for good, not for what’s rotten. Good advice, yes? But wow, so hard to live out sometimes. One of the most difficult times to resist speaking evil of others is when they speak evil of you. To hold your tongue when someone else is loose with theirs may be the mature choice, but it is not the easy one. If you’ve ever heard a rumor about yourself, especially one that wasn’t true, yes you can correct it, but can you correct it in a way that doesn’t speak ill of the rumor mongers? That doesn’t seek revenge? I absolutely refuse to pretend I’ve used my tongue for good alone. How about you?
In the movie Crazy Heart, Bad finally has a shot at the big leagues again. During sound check, he forces sound engineer Bear to change the audio mix. Bear insists he sounds great, but Bad gives him attitude, showing a complete lack of respect for Bear’s expertise and Tommy Sweet’s invitation to him to join the tour. Bad enough (no pun intended) that Bad calls out Bear for being bad (okay, pun intended) over the mic for everyone to hear, then Bad badmouths Bear badly over the mic again (pun super-intended!).
You ever do that? Talk about someone behind their back loud enough that you want them to hear? That’s what Bad does here. Again, I have to ask: are we really partners if we’re going to disparage each other?
A performer and a technician have to be in sympatico if the audience is going to have a good experience. Bad’s belittling remarks not only damage his working relationship with Bear, but also reveals his own personal struggles and lack of self-control - elements that brought him out of the spotlight just as much as any of his lack of creative energy did along the way. You can’t go through life showing your disregard for others and expect others won’t be concerned that you’ll do the same to them someday. Rather than wait for the other shoe to drop, they’ll drop you. And your tongue.
These days, it’s not just what we speak, is it. What we write (or type, or tap out with our thumbs on a mobile device) can go either way, as well. We can type out messages that applaud others… or tear them down. The quick and disposable nature of the text message can lead to writing without regard to others, finding them to be disposable as well. But again, watch who you disparage and to who. After all, now we have screenshots!
Plus, there is that pesky truth: if you speak badly of others, aren’t you just giving them permission to speak badly of you?
Which will you do with your tongue? How do you use words to build others up? What is the greatest compliment someone has given you?