You’d have to be totally unplugged from electronic media to have not heard this story over the last week. Susan Boyle is a 47 year old, single, unemployed woman who has always had a dream of singing in front of a large audience. She got that opportunity by singing on Britains Got Talent television show. There are three judges, Piers Morgan, Amanda Holden and American Idol’s Simon Cowell.

When Susan stepped onto the stage, the audience and judges made an immediate “judgment” based on her appearance. Everyone rolled their eyes and snickered. The audience was also laughing and making comments complete with whistles and cat calls.

Unaffected, Susan proceeded to answer questions in her own quirky way and said that she wanted to be like Elaine Page, heralded as the First Lady of British Musical Theatre. This statement created more eye rolling and smirks from the judges.

The moment had come for her to sing, and appropriately enough, her song choice was I Dreamed a Dream, from Les Miserables. As soon as she opened her mouth and her amazing voice filled the theater, the snickers turned to pure awe and wonder. In that moment she changed from the ugly duckling into the beautiful swan. The judges and audience changed their tears of laughter and jeering into tears of being so moved by such a beautiful voice.

At the end of her performance, Piers Morgan said, “Everyone was laughing at you – no one is laughing now.” Amanda Holden had commented that everyone was against her. “We were all cynical and that was the biggest wake-up call ever.”

How often have we all made our judgments and missed an opportunity to have met an incredible human being? Our society puts so much of an emphasis on youth and beauty.

This video is so inspiring that I’ve included the link in case you haven’t seen it, or if you want to watch it again. I don’t think I could ever get tired of watching it!

Let me finish this entry with an appropriate text – “Pay no attention to his looks or to his splendid height, for I have passed him by. It is not what man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” I Samuel 16:7