I wanna be like you
There are some people who have the gift at being able to copy what others do. I have watched some mime artists who entertain the crowds at Sea World in Florida.
These performers are brilliant at observing the guests as they arrive and then mimic it, often without the guest knowing, much to the delight of the onlooking crowd.
When I was a child, I loved watching TV impression shows, with great entertainers such as the late Mike Yarwood and Faith Brown.
I was so inspired, that I did my own impressions of Margaret Thatcher, Frank Spencer and Mr T! I think I’m showing my age now.
In the 1967 classic Disney cartoon, ‘The Jungle Book’, there is a fabulous jazz song called ‘I wanna be like you’. It’s performed by Louis, King of the monkeys, and is all about the desire to be human and has the catchy refrain: ‘Ooh, ooh, ooh! I wanna be like you, I wanna walk like you, talk like you, ooh, ooh’.
I think we all have people in life that we aspire to be like. In the letter to the Hebrews, in the Bible, the writer picks up on this thought and encourages his readers…
“…to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.”
The writer was referring to the great men and women of the Old Testament. These people were heroes of the faith, and their stories would have been well known by the Jews.
They had all faced a variety of trials and yet their faith had not wavered. They kept on believing, trusting and following God.
What I love about the Bible, is the great many stories of ordinary people, who trusted in an extraordinary God, and their faith kept them going, through all kinds of adversities.
In our Bibles today, we also have the addition of Jesus. He went through so much, which led to his public execution, and he never stopped believing. What an example he is!
Today, we can still be inspired by all these Biblical heroes of the faith. If life is tough right now, let me encourage you to read up on these people, and ask God to give you what they had.
Why not turn the old song from ‘The Jungle Book’, into a prayer:
I wanna be like you,
I wanna walk like you,
Talk like you,
Amen!
God bless you :)
Gary Bastin - Hope Community Church leader