What Broadway Musicals Can Teach Us About Redmption

Romans 3:21-26

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it-the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

If you read the words to the two songs below, you will see that Broadway can teach us about redemption.  The first is from one of my favorite musicals, Cole Porter's "Anything Goes."

Blow, Gabriel, Blow

[RENO]

Brothers and sisters, we are here tonight to fight the devil... 

Do you hear that playin'? 

[COMPANY]

Yes, we hear that playin'! 

[RENO]

Do you know who's playin'? 

[COMPANY]

No, who is that playin'? 

[RENO]

Well, it's Gabriel, Gabriel playin'! 

Gabriel, Gabriel sayin' 

"Will you be ready to go 

When I blow my horn?" 

Oh, blow, Gabriel, blow, 

Go on and blow, Gabriel, blow! 

I've been a sinner, I've been a scamp, 

But now I'm willin' to trim my lamp, 

So blow, Gabriel, blow! 

Oh, I was low, Gabriel, low, 

Mighty low, Gabriel, low. 

But now since I have seen the light, 

I'm good by day and I'm good by night, 

So blow, Gabriel, blow! 

Once I was headed for hell, 

Once I was headed for hell; 

But when I got to Satan's door 

I heard you blowin' on your horn once more, 

So I said, "Satan, farewell!" 

And now I'm all ready to fly, 

Yes, to fly higher and higher! 

'Cause I've gone through brimstone 

And I've been through the fire, 

And I purged my soul 

And my heart too, 

So climb up the mountaintop 

And start to blow, Gabriel, blow 

[ALL]

Come on and blow, Gabriel, blow! 

[RENO]

I want to join your happy band 

And play all day in the Promised Land. 

So blow, Gabriel, blow! 

Come on you scamps, get up you sinners! 

You're all too full of expensive dinners. 

Stand up on your lazy feet and sing! 

[ALL]

Blow, Gabriel, blow, (Blow, Gabriel!) 

Go on and blow, Gabriel, blow. (Blow, Gabriel!) 

I've been a sinner, I've been a scamp, 

But now I'm willin' to trim my lamp, 

So blow, Gabriel, blow. 

I was low, Gabriel, low, (Low, Gabriel!) 

Mighty low, Gabriel, low. 

But now since that I have seen the light 

I'm good by day and I'm good by night 

So blow, Gabriel, blow. 

[RENO]

Once I was headed for hell, 

Once I was headed for hell; 

But when I got to Satan's door 

I heard you blowin' on your horn once more, 

So I said, "Satan, farewell!" 

And now I'm all ready to fly, 

Yes, to fly higher and higher! 

'Cause I've gone through brimstone 

And I've been through the fire, 

And I purged my soul 

And my heart too, 

So climb up the mountaintop 

And start to blow, Gabriel, blow 

[ALL]

Go on and blow, Gabriel, blow! 

[RENO]

I want to join your happy band 

And play all day in the Promised Land. 

So blow, Gabriel! 

[ALL]

Go on and... 

Blow, Gabriel, blow 

Blow, Gabriel, blow 

Blow, Gabriel, blow 

I wanna join your happy band 

And play all day in the Promised Land, 

So blow, Gabriel, blow, Gabriel, blow, Gabriel, blow!

The other song is probably the most famous song about redemption, from "Guys and Dolls," Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat.

I dreamed last night I got on the boat to heaven 

And by some chance I had brought my dice along 

And there I stood 

And I hollered "Someone fade me" 

But the passengers, they knew right from wrong. 

For the peopel all said sit down, sit down, you're rockin' the boat 

People all said sit down 

Sit down you're rockin' the boat. 

And the devil will drag you under 

By the sharp lapel of your checkered coat, 

Sit down, sit down, sit down, sit down, 

Sit down you're rockin' the boat. 

I sailed away on that little boat to heaven 

And by some chance found a bottle in my fist 

And there I stood,Nicely passin' out the whisky

But the passengers were bound to resisist 

For the people all said beware 

You're on a heavenly trip 

People all said beware 

Beware, you'll scuttle the ship. 

And the devil will drag you under 

By the fancy tie 'round your wicked throat 

Sit down, sit down, sit down, sit down 

Sit down, you're rockin' the boat 

And as I laughed at those passengers to heaven (laughs) 

(gasps!) A great big wave came and washed me over board! 

And as I sank And I hollered "someone save me!" 

That's the moment I woke up Thank the lord 

And I said to myself, sit down, sit down, 

You're rockin' the boat! 

Said to myself sit down, sit down, you're rockin' the boat 

And the devil will drag you under With a soul so heavy you'd never float, 

Sit down, sit down, sit down 

Sit down, sit down, sit down, you're rockin' the boat.

I'm sure this is one of the most unusual religious posts any of you have seen, and it may only make sense to me, but I hope it makes you think about redemption and salvation.