The Power of Mentoring - A Star is Born

 Hollywood has had a fascination (and dare I say, love affair) with the mentor/mentee relationship.  In the years 1937, 1954, 1976, and 2018 movie goers were treated to the cinematic spectacular “A Star is Born.”  Each production slightly different from the others, but the basic story line remains the same.  “A Star is Born” is part romance and part tragedy.  The story follows a rags-to-riches climb with a dynamic and talented young woman at its center.   In all four presentations of the movie the plot follows a similar trajectory:  An aging male celebrity who is riddled by addictions meets a talented and younger woman with whom he is instantly smitten.  He is attuned to her overwhelming talent and mentors her career.  Before you know it she is a star.  Meanwhile, his career sinks deeper and deeper into the doldrums.  

The most recent rendition of “A Star is Born” was brought to the big screen in 2018 by director and actor Bradley Cooper (who plays the lead Jackson Maine) and his co-star Lady Gaga (who plays the Ally).  Jackson Maine is a country rock singer whose career is starting the slow slide down the mountain.  After a concert he goes to a bar where Ally is on the stage singing a song.  At once Jackson is overwhelmed with the beauty and power of her voice (and let’s not forget the physical beauty of Ally).  He is compelled to meet her - to be in her presence.  He wants to understand this talent and foster it along.  He is persistent.  Ally is self critical - of her talent, of her beauty, of her voice.  And then the mentor relationship is born.  Jackson tells Ally:  “Look, talent comes everywhere, but having something to say and a way to say it to have people listen to it, that’s a whole other bag. And unless you get out and you try to do it, you’ll never know. That’s just the truth.”

The mentor is persistent and affirming.  Jackson will not let Ally wallow in self-defeat nor will he let her be so self-critical of her looks and talent that she is paralyzed to sing her own songs and be her own person.  She has talent and something to say to the world…and the world needs to hear it.  In a similar way Barnabas comes along side Saul and is persistent and affirming.  As it states in Acts 9:27:  “But Barnabas took him and bought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus.”   

Saul had something to say and the world needed to hear it.  And what was it that Saul had to say?  We are told in the book of Acts that in those days following his conversion Saul spent time with the disciples in Damascus  and he “immediately proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues saying, ‘He is the Son of God’” (Acts 9:20).  Saul was preaching boldly in the name of Jesus.  However, what we don’t want to miss is that Saul spent time with those wiser and more mature in the faith - disciples in Damascus.  He grew in his understanding and walk of faith.  And when he arrived in Jerusalem Barnabas came along side of Saul and continued to assist him in his walk of faith.  Saul was not simply left on his own to figure things out.  Saul was being mentored.

We too have something to say when it comes to matters of faith.  Like Saul we know Jesus Christ to be the Son of God.  However, our depth and width and breath of understanding of the Gospel needs to grow and mature.  This is done best when we have mentors in the faith who come along side of us and help us to understand the revelation of sacred Scripture.  Faithful pastors and teachers help us grow in our understanding and maturity of spiritual knowledge.  Like Saul, we need “disciples of Damascus” and a “Barnabas” to help us with our confession and expression of faith as we share what is most important with those around us.  Like Ally, we need a Jackson to be persistent in prodding us to “sing our song of faith” while affirming our ability to do so.