It’s Not That Easy Being Green

June 13, 2004 (Second Sunday after Pentecost -- Proper 6)

By The Rev. Jerry Kolb

- 2 Samuel 11:26-12:10,13-15
- Psalm 32 or 32:1-8
- Galatians 2:11-21
- Luke 7:36-50

(From The Lectionary Page)

Have you ever listened to something a thousand times before you really heard it? A fine poem, a passage of scripture, a song, a hymn, something you hear over and over again and then all at once it seems to move right into your mind, takes up residence there and becomes a part of you?

It has happened to me many times but I want to share one particular moment when my daughter was only three years old. As is normal for any child at that age, she was an avid Sesame Street fan. More than that, she was a camp follower of Big Bird, of Oscar who lives in a trashcan and loves to be dirty, and the Cookie Monster. So, as any good father would do, I bought her a Sesame Street record. (It was before CD’s!) Then in those odd moments when Sesame Street wasn’t on TV, she could still be learning her numbers and the ABC’s. Well let me tell you, once I purchased that record, I’m sure that I heard it at least six times before breakfast, then again throughout the day, and certainly before she went to bed at night. Now, the strange thing was, I really didn’t mind it. The marvelous thing about the Gospel According to the Muppets is that it seldom bores me. So our kids could listen to it as much as they wanted to – which was most of the time!

Now you know that it is a basic law of family life that wherever you go in the house to ”do you your own thing” – the kids follow you. This particular day I was trying to work at my desk and of course, Heather, my daughter, had to drag her little record player in and listen to Sesame Street. So as I was listening to Sesame Street for perhaps the ten thousandth time, the song “Green” finally got through to me. It’s sung by Kermit the Frog and because many of you probably don’t remember it, I’d like to share it with you this morning.

(We can't find the entire song online, so here are the lyrics:)

It's not that easy being green
Having to spend each day the color of the leaves
When I think it could be nicer being red, or yellow or gold
Or something much more colorful like that

It's not easy being green
It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things
And people tend to pass you over 'cause you're
Not standing out like flashy sparkles in the water
Or stars in the sky

But green's the color of Spring
And green can be cool and friendly-like
And green can be big like an ocean, or important
Like a mountain, or tall like a tree

When green is all there is to be
It could make you wonder why, but why wonder why
Wonder, I am green and it'll do fine, it's beautiful
And I think it's what I want to be

Now as I listened, it seemed to me it is a song that I hear almost everywhere, not just on Sesame Street. It seems to be a song I hear each day when I was working at the hospital, or whenever I’m waiting my turn at the bank, or standing in line at the cafeteria. It seems to be a song I hear quite often when I’m called to the phone or when someone knocks at my door;

“It’s not that easy being Green,
having to spend each day the color of the leaves….”

It’s not that easy being young, I hear the children say. It’s not that easy growing up these days. There is so much to learn, so much to worry about, so many people telling me to “to this” or “do that” and there is so much hypocrisy and double-dealing around. It might make you wonder, “What’s the use?”

It’s not that easy going to school, I hear the students say. There is always a deadline to meet, always some troubling idea to cope with, some “dumb” course that you have to take to meet the minimum requirements for graduation, always a million things to do that you don’t particularly want to do. And people keep talking about how bad the school system is. Am I really going to learn anything? It’s not that easy going to school these days and sometimes a student might think, “I’ll just quit school and forget about it!”

It’s not that easy raising a family, I hear parents say. Every time you turn around, somebody’s either sick or dirty or growing out of their clothes. You work for years and then the kids go off and resent it when you ask where they are going. “Just going to ‘Mess around!’” Of course they always have time to ask “Could you loan me a couple of bucks until I get my allowance / pay check?” With the way the economy is, maybe there is going to be a recession or is it inflation?, whichever, I’m never going to have it made, never going to get ahead. I’m stuck where I am for life. It’s not that easy raising a family, and sometimes I wonder if it’s really worth it after all.

It’s not that easy being a Christian I hear people at church say. They are always confronting me with some difficult issue that I’d really rather not have to think about. It seems that a lot of the things that I’d like to do, the church shows me how they aren’t good for me – or my family – or the world I live in. They point out some things I really ought to be doing that I’m not. They make me think about more than just myself. Sometimes I just think it would be easier to say at home on Sundays – especially with some of the issues the church is wrestling with right now!

It’s not that easy growing old, I hear many say. I can no longer do a lot of the things I like to do, can no longer remember things just when I want to remember them, can no longer eat some to the things I like to eat, and every little hurt seems to hurt just a little bit more. It’s not that easy growing old.

And so the song goes on. It’s not that easy being married to this person I’m married to. It’s not that easy trying to comb your hair --- when there isn’t any! Or being friends with some of the people who are my friends, or trying to lose weight, or dealing with your feelings when the doctor says you have to have an operation. No, it’s not that easy doing what I have to do, living the way I have to live. It’s just not that easy being me!

And that is what hit me! That is what Kermit is singing about. His greenness has gotten to him. He feels some sorrow about being who he is – a small, rather insignificant creature in a world of bright colors and shining stars. It’s not that easy being me.

Kermit’s song is a song we all sing. We carry with us a certain amount of dissatisfaction, yes, even frustration, about our station in life. One reason for this may be our tendency to compare ourselves with all those who are rich and famous, or who are portrayed by the tabloids as ‘successful.’ But the song goes much deeper than that. Whatever my status, whatever my income, whatever my role, it’s not that easy being me, because I have my own private collection of defects and limitations. It’s not that easy getting used to bifocal, or God forbid, trifocals!! It’s not that easy having an ear that plugs up so you can’t hear when the phone rings, or sometimes when people say “nice day” you want to frown and say, “yes, terrible isn’t it?” It’s not that easy being allergic to ragweed or little kittens. It’s just not that easy being less than perfect, being less than able to do all the things I would like to do, being less of a person than I would like to be. It’s not that easy living my life according to the pattern I see emerging. It’s just not that easy being me!

Think, even of Jesus praying in the garden. He knew he was probably in for trouble. He knew everything was coming to a head. And he knew it is a way nobody else knew. His three closest friends were fast asleep. And he prayed with all his might that the cup might pass from him, that he might be able to assume another role, do it a different way.

It wasn’t that easy being Christ. It was hard, unutterably hard, perhaps redeemingly hard, but first is was painfully hard. Even Jesus Christ knew the truth of Kermit’s song. We all know its truth. It’s not that easy being me!

The song moves on:

“It’s not that easy being Green, but green is the color of Spring, and green can be cool and friendly like, or big like an ocean, important like a mountain, tall like a tree.”

The frog begins to recognize some good in his green-ness. It’s not that easy being green, but it isn’t all bad either. In fact, there are some rather nice things about it.

The frog reveals that a mature adult lives somewhere inside of him. He is not entirely a whimpering, feeling-sorry-for-himself child. This part of the song is also true of all of us. I may be a clumsy father, but doggone it, I do love my children and they know I love them. I may feel crummy about myself sometimes, but I’ve kept my home running. I may not be the very best manager but I’ve done some good things for my department or my business. I’ve shown some kindness, I’ve accomplished some things. Maturity begins with a balanced view of one’s self. The frog shows us it is possible even if you happen to be green!

And then at the end, the song does something quite wonderful. In a couple of lines, it cuts through one of life’s toughest questions and ends up with a little ode to self-affirmation:

“When Green is all there is to be, it could make you wonder why. But why wonder? Why wonder? I am green and it’ll do fine – it’s beautiful and it’s what I want to be.”

But why wonder, why wonder? Life does not allow for that kind of wonder. I am who I am. Without me, without you, the world would not have been quite the same. The things I’ve done would not have been done in quite the same way. The sunsets I have seen, the anger I’ve felt, the love I’ve known, the aches I’ve have ached with, the roses I’ve smelled, the work I’ve done, it all may be rather unnoteworthy, but that particular set of sights, smells, feelings, and deeds all depended upon me. My life is particular and unique and it makes it’s particular and unique contribution to the larger world. It’s not that easy being me, and sometimes I wonder why, but I am who I am, and it’ll do fine. In fact, I think it’s who I want to be.

Kermit tells us what we all must surely know: the first cross that we must bear is that of being ourselves! How we bear that cross determines the energy and the grace we have left over for bearing other crosses. We are able to live for others to the extent we have made our peace with ourselves as creatures that God wanted us to be. Our imperfections, our limits, and our weaknesses are part of the offering we bring, part of the service we render.

God does not call us to be perfect people. He does not wait until we are pure before he loves us. God loves us now! He is calling us now! He uses us just as we are.

It’s not that easy being green, but green is the color of Spring, and mountains, and oceans and trees. It’ll do fine. In fact, I think it’s what, by the grace of God, I want to be.

Kermit’s song is our song, and it’s kind of a wistful, kind of a sad song. But way down inside its sadness, there is a happy sound, almost a joyous sound. It is the happy, joyous, holy sound of something coming forth that is true!

Amen.

(I am indebted to Robert Jones for the essence of this sermon.)