Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story

I don’t know about you, but for me, Disney+ couldn’t have come at a better time. In the midst of the turmoil found here on earth, we have been able to escape to the fantastical worlds found within the archives of the Disney vault. What has been really interesting though, is not just reminiscing but being able to explore for the first time a lot of new stories that Disney have released to this new platform. One such gem is the award-winning Broadway show – Hamilton.

For those of you who haven’t seen it, it’s the story of a lesser-known founding father of the United States. From a premise that should be a boring history lesson, it soon becomes an enlightening story that not just informs you about the life and times of Alexander Hamilton, but also reveals a great story of the timeless themes of the human experience. It’s a story of hope, of grace, of forgiveness, of failure, of death and ultimately redemption. The parallels found between the life of Hamilton and my own and the wider human experience only leads me to consider the lessons and challenges that can be learned from his life and applied to 21st century living.

There are so many different lessons, that I could write for hours on just the first 30 minutes of Hamilton. So, I thought it would be wise today, to focus on perhaps, the most challenging part of the musical. Through the final song, the greatest challenge for the audience remains; “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story”. Having already been on an emotional rollercoaster, it can leave you pondering questions like; “What is my legacy?”, or “How will I be remembered?” and yes, in a secular setting these questions are challenging enough, but I find that in the context of my Christian journey, the challenge is even greater. You see, we are not here on earth for us. We are not here to gain fame or rise up to be someone who goes down in history. It is not about our story. It’s not about us. It’s about so much more. So perhaps the question “who tells your story?” is too self-serving and remembering that we are here for the building of His Kingdom, perhaps the greater challenge lies in the question - “does my life tell His story?”

I’ve shared this music before, but I feel like now more than ever the world needs disciples who do, who walk the walk and light the way for others and so today, as we take time to reflect I wonder, “Do they see Jesus in me?”

Do they see Jesus in me

Do they recognise Your face

Do I communicate Your love and Your grace

Do I reflect who You are

In the way I choose to be

Do they see Jesus in me