Cellophane
Mister Cellophane
Shoulda Been My Name
Mister Cellophane
‘Cause You Can Look Right Through Me
Walk Right By Me
And Never Know I’m There..

The lyrics are from the musical Chicago. The character feels a sense of invisibility as the world passes him by without ever seeing him. With that invisibility comes an innate sense of personal worthlessness.

The song continues with this poignant verse:

A Human Being’s Made Of More Than Air
With All That Bulk, You’re Bound To See Him There
Unless That Human Bein’ Next To You
Is Unimpressive, Undistinguished
You Know Who…

The words don’t simply sound familiar. They feel familiar, which is all the more painful. We know the sense of being passed by unnoticed in a social setting. Our work colleagues don’t know our name. We pass through life with painful anonymity, wanting to achieve something of personal success, leave a positive legacy for our children. We want someone to be proud of us…but, alas, no one sees us. They rather see right through us, as if we were cellophane.

The deeper we fall into the pit of loneliness the more despondent we become. Depression falls on me like a deep dark cloud as I allow myself to be enveloped in the cocoon of unhappiness and self-loathing. A deep sense of personal faith, the support of family and friends, and self-talk enable me to move from under the cloud into the light of self-understanding.

Rather than looking for helpful coping mechanisms some people choose to blame others for feelings of discouragement and abandonment. It is easier to blame someone else for my sense of failure than to deal with my own emotional issues.

This sense of looking for someone to blame is powerfully present in our society and in our politics. When my life isn’t turning out the way I think it should I’ll just blame Jews, or Muslims, or immigrants. After all, my sense of failure must be someone else’s fault. African Americans, Hispanics, Asian Americans, and any other group we choose to blame are fair targets for our sense of failure. Sadly, many of us have not only chosen to embrace that position ourselves, but to blindly, thoughtlessly, follow political demigods who promote the indefensible position that I am not responsible for my own attitudes and actions. If am Mr. Cellophane, it has to be someone else’s problem.

I may not have control over everything that happens in my life, but one thing over which I have control is my attitude. I can choose not to blame others for my lot in life. I can choose to practice equitable justice, not revenge. I can choose love over hate.

Any sense of moral compass is lacking in our present political reality. What we hear from our political leaders is the rhetoric of hatred and retribution. The skirmishes reported daily coming from the United States Congress sounds more like playground bullies pushing and shoving one another for dominance rather than mature debate about serious issues that face our nation. Unfortunately, the consequences are more serious than a skinned knee. The political dialogue that we have foisted on us each day is merely, “sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

Here’s a thought. Rather than wallow in the thought that I am cellophane, with no voice or power, envision what would happen if people of faith actually chose to live into the faith we profess. Rather than seeing ourselves as invisible and powerless, let’s see ourselves as the beloved children of God.

Through that lens the groups of people that we choose to hate, and blame are viewed as persons equally created in the image of God. It is impossible to love God whom we have not seen and hate a brother or sister whom we have seen. (1 John 4:20)

Many voices across the land call for spiritual renewal. A good thought, but before you say, “Amen” remember that spiritual renewal is first and foremost a personal experience. For spiritual renewal to have an impact on the national consciousness, it has to have an impact on me. There is no room for the hateful words and retributive actions that dominate our politics and our personal relationships.

I encourage you not to view yourself in the words of Mr. Cellophane, but rather to see yourself as Christ’s representative in a dark and sinful world. That’s a huge challenge, but the presence of God’s own Spirit provides the impetus and strength to make our voices heard for justice and equity.

He has told you, O mortal, what is good;

and what does the LORD require of you

but to do justice, and to love kindness,

and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8 emphasis added)