by Rev. Eric Folkerth

It’s now more than a week past Tracy Chapman’s incredible performance at this year’s Grammy Awards Show. I can’t stop thinking about it. And it’s reminded me of my favorite Tracy Chapman song.

Most people’s favorite is likely the big hit she performed at the Grammy’s. But mine has always been “All That You Have Is Your Soul.”

This song is, unquestionably, one of my top ten favorite songs of all-time. A “desert island” song. I’d like to tell you why because I think it helps us set the table for our Lenten Journey and week one of the Lenten season, which starts this Sunday…

I was in my last year of seminary when this song was released. That was, in fact, the year I first met Dennise. I was so inspired by Tracy Chapman and her story. But THIS song…it spoke deeply to my heart and spirit.

The chorus is what you see in the picture here:

Soon after graduating seminary, I would be appointed by our Bishop to the staff of the largest United Methodist Church in the country (at the time). This chorus came back to me. It struck me that this was both an opportunity and a danger, and that it might be very easy to be seduced by power and control.

So I typed out the chorus and taped it to my desktop at church. I looked at it every morning, day after day, as a reminder to be careful with power and privilege. Tracy’s words convicted me over and over in those years, and they still do.

Frankly, our world —the Church and Politics, specifically— would be immeasurably better if we all kept these words in mind.

On Sunday, we’ll read the story of Jesus being tempted in the wilderness. (The assigned lectionary text for the day…)

Jesus is tempted three times to turn his back on his path, turn away from his calling, and embrace worldly power. He’s promised “all the kingdoms” of the earth by Satan. Readers of the text should, of course, remember whatever you think about “personified evil” in the form of a “Satan,” the character of Satan is portrayed as a liar.

(Note: I do not believe in personified evil. But I do believe this story is extremely helpful to us in understanding how evil comes to us…)

My strong hunch is: “Satan” is offering something he cannot “deliver,” when he promises all earthly kingdoms.

But Jesus stays true to his path, and true to his calling. He won’t divert from his mission to open God’s table to all people, regardless of their race, economic circumstance, or orientation. I would guess he also knows Satan is a liar.

I am very confident that I have made moral compromises in my life, and been tempted to veer from my path. But ever since it was first released, this chorus plays like a moral ear worm in my head. Time and again, it calls me back to my path when I think about straying.

I know this:

Whomever we are, and whatever our calling, God needs us to be servants, not those who seek power for power’s sake. None of us are ever perfect. Nor does God expect the trap of perfectionism from us. But God does push us, like this song does, to stay on a path of seeing justice and truth.

For twenty years I’ve had an upfront seat to see under the hoods of the separate worlds of Church and Politics. Sometimes, in both worlds, I am disappointed by what I see.

As we survey the general scene of both worlds today, we all see far too much seeking of power for power’s sake. Far too much belief that life is a “zero sum game” and that our calling is to control as much as we can. Pastors and politicians, privately and publicly, make far too many compromises with their core values, and get tempted by power.

But God would call us back to servanthood, to remember that power is an illusion, and control is a danger.

Tracy Chapman’s song actually mirrors Jesus’ story in powerful ways. The first verses speak of a woman who compromises her values in order to please a man and have children. She comes to understand that this is false control, in that they can’t really control either.

But I like to imagine the last two verses are Chapman speaking to all of us, too, as to perhaps exactly where she was at that moment in her life, having achieved fame beyond her wildest dreams:

“I thought, thought that I could find a way
To beat the system
To make a deal and have no debts to pay
I'd take it all, I'd take it all, I'd run away
Me for myself first class and first rate
But all that you have is your soul.”

Chapman has achieved success. In the moment she records this song, she’s one of the most lauded of our singer-songwriters. But she knows the dangers too. Like Jesus, she feels tempted to make the deal…to take the power… to “take it all,” and “run away.”

But also like Jesus, she understands this is an illusion and a trap. Because, ultimately, all we have is our soul.

The final verse perhaps speaks to all of us in terms of a vision we could all use in our world today:

“Here I am, I'm waiting for a better day
A second chance
A little luck to come my way
A hope to dream, a hope that I can sleep again
And wake in the world with a clear conscience and clean hands
'Cause all that you have is your soul.”

Let’s try to live such that we can awake with a “clean conscience and clean hands.”

I won’t sugarcoat it…this is always challenging.

It’s difficult, always, because the temptation for power is real, and so many moments will tempt us to power for power’s sake.

So, dear Kessler Park friends, during Lent, I invite you back to the Lenten Journey. The first step is to remember, as Jesus did, that temptations will always come, that the journey is long, and that in the end all that we have is our soul.

Come see us Sunday as we start this journey.

See you then,

Eric Folkerth

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