A Lesson from Mr. Harper

I expected Saturday night to be fun. House of Blues. Downtown Boston. A date with my husband.

What I didn’t expect was the gentle but firm spiritual shake-up that I was given by Mr. Ben Harper and his Innocent Criminals.

I’ve been listening to Ben for several years now, and, having been raised in a conservative Christian home, I’ve alway been very aware and in-tune with Ben’s religious and faith references. I mean, it’s kind-of hard not to notice them. He’s pretty open about it.

But listening and watching Ben sing live added a whole different layer to my experiences with his music. The man barely moves while he sings. Hardly ever makes eye contact with the audience. But he preaches like I’ve never heard anyone preach before.

Thank you, Mr. Harper, for one of the most beautifully powerful sermons I’ve heard in a very long time. Thank you for having the guts to challenge us all to daily strive for honor. To fight our Selves to develop a personal character that shines out a radiant inner beauty. To seek to have a self-reflective spirit that reminds each of us of who we really are.