The Sincerest Form of Flattery
Copyright 2001 by Debbie Porter

Imitation doesn't always mean a poor substitute. It all depends on how well you know your subject.

“We are, in truth, more than half what we are by imitation.”

~ Lord Chesterfield, Letters to His Son, January 18, 1750 ~

* * *

"Dad’s calling!"

Like tribal drums, the message was relayed from the Bathroom, where Steve was having a shower, to the Office, where I was trying to work.

Expecting it to be the "wet husband, no towel" scenario, I hurried down the hall to the rescue, only to find that nothing was wrong at all.

"Ray got tickets for us to see the Neil Diamond Tribute show on Friday night." Apparently the warm water had loosened Steve’s memory and brought this not insignificant bit of information bubbling to the surface.

"Oh, that’s nice." My reply was surprised and pleased, but a little subdued.

Ray is without a doubt, the sort of employee that every Boss dreams of. Everything about this young man has always been exemplary and this gift was just one of many ways that he’s blessed us in the two short years he’s been working for us.

I was pleased by Ray’s thoughtfulness, but not quite so sure about seeing an impersonator. After all, we’d seen the real thing in concert several years ago and I couldn’t help but think that anything less than the original would be a major let down. Sure, we’d seen David Gates without his band, "Bread", last year, but Neil Diamond without Neil Diamond? I just wasn’t sure.

Still, it was a free night out, courtesy of someone’s kindness, so I wasn’t complaining. Particularly when two extra tickets were made available for our friends, Paul and Robyn, to come along as well.

Settling ourselves in the theatre on Friday night, I smiled as I read what was written on the tickets:

"John Regan - Hot August Night The Music of Neil Diamond"

With the last weeks of winter still with us in Sydney and my coat folded for warmth over my knees, I thought, "It may be August and it may be night, but it certainly isn’t hot!"

Suddenly the lights went low as a spot-lit flautist played a haunting introduction, while wisps of a breeze caught her hair, making it lift and dance around her face. Then the curtain opened and the show began.

At first my every thought was focused on the fact that this wasn’t really Neil Diamond and any sense of enjoyment was overshadowed by my hesitancy to trust the imposter on stage. But it wasn’t long before the old familiar songs and the incredible likeness of the performer, both physically and vocally, to the original, was able to capture my attention and appreciation.

Although never actually forgetting that this wasn’t the real thing, I was able to thoroughly enjoy a performance by someone who presented a very credible imitation.

"What’s the chances of not only looking like Neil Diamond, but actually being able to perform like him too?" I wondered aloud as we left the warmth of the venue and headed back in the cold night air to the car.

As I thought about it, I came to the conclusion that it had less to do with chance and more to do with presentation and a lot of hard work. There was no question that John Regan had spent many, many hours watching Neil Diamond and listening to his music. It would probably be fair to say that this gentleman had lived and breathed the famous performer for years and, more than likely, had a deep respect and love for the man and his music. No one becomes a skilled impersonator if they don’t know their subject extremely well.

Of course the same is true for those of us who follow Christ. Being a Christian comes with a call to be a reflection of the Lord in every way. As Paul wrote to the Church in Ephesus:

"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." (Ephesians 5:1-2 NIV)

When people look at us, what do they see? Do they see a vibrantly realistic representation of our Lord, or an unconvincing and shallow parody?

Our aim should be to stay so close to God that our every action reveals His nature and heart to everyone we meet. To do that means connecting ourselves intimately to the Father through Christ and imitating our Savior’s example, who was the perfect representation of the Father in human form. It also means loving God above all else, for unless we’re passionate about the One we want to imitate, we’ll never be able to adequately act as His representative to a cynical world.

Most of us would be quick to say that we aren’t there yet. I know I’m not. But every day that goes by, as we draw closer to God, we can be confident that His image will become clearer in us.

Imitation doesn’t always mean a poor substitute. For the child of God it’s quite simply an act of worship.

* * *

"God bears with imperfect beings even when they resist His goodness. We ought to imitate this merciful patience and endurance."

~ Francois de Fenelon ~