At long last, welcome back to the Gospel According to, where we connect our beloved songs, movies, and books with Bible verses and Gospel truths. This week’s fandom is another from the Coldplay universe, with a hint of Star Wars and Hunger Games thrown in for good measure. Enjoy!
Fandom: “Miracles (Someone Special)” by Coldplay + the mentors of Star Wars and The Hunger Games
Verses: 1 Thessalonians 5:11, 2 Timothy 2:1-2, John 13:34-35, Colossians 1:28-29, Hebrews 3:12-14
Truth: God places people in our lives to encourage us, and calls us to do the same for others.
The Horizontal View: Mentors and Potential
From a horizontal (human-to-human) perspective, “Miracles (Someone Special)” is an inspiring song about a mentor who encourages someone in their life to reach their full potential. The singer talks about their father, but this type of positive influence can apply to any relationship in our lives. It also reminds me of the relationship between Katniss and Haymitch in the Hunger Games series and between Luke Skywalker and Obi Wan in the Star Wars universe. In their case, as with every other character who fits the Hero’s Journey archetype, a mentor character helps them to complete their mission, work through obstacles, and become the hero they were always meant to be. If the universe is saved or the Capitol overthrown in the process, more’s the better.
The Vertical View: Discipleship
Another example of the mentor relationship is that of the apostle Paul and his protégé, Timothy. After coming to know the Lord himself, Paul devoted his life to spreading the Gospel and building up churches, at great personal peril. Timothy is one of his most well-known followers, with two entire books of the Bible devoted entirely to him. Here are some of the things Paul wrote to Timothy:
- “For God gave us a spirit not of fear, but one of power, love, and a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7
- “Do not let anyone despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12
- “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
There’s so much more goodness in the books of 1 and 2 Timothy, but let me share just one more with you: “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” 2 Timothy 2:1-2
As always, the most important person for us to follow in discipleship is Jesus Himself. For more on the joy of following Jesus with everything we have, check out these posts:
- The Gospel According to Ed Sheeran: Beautiful People
- The Gospel According to Songbirds and Snakes: Pure As the Driven Snow
- The Gospel According to Arijit Singh: “Rihaa”
This is the type of discipleship we’re called to walk in as believers: the kind that doesn’t stop with me or you, but keeps going to those around us, who then pass along the truth to those they’re connected with.
And it doesn’t have to be someone who’s significantly older or younger than you: discipleship can be just as effective between peers. Paul talks about this too: “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11 That’s what the singer of Coldplay’s “Miracles (Someone Special)” is doing when he says, “you could be/Someone special/You’ve got fire in your eyes, I see heaven inside/You’ll go further than we’ve ever gone/In you I see/Someone special/You’ve got bright in your brains, you can break through these chains/You’ll go higher than we’ve ever gone…”
Takeaways from Coldplay “Someone Special”
As believers, we should encourage others as persistently as a parent who believes in the potential of their child or a mentor who sees the potential of their charge. The fate of the universe might not depend on their success, but the fate of that person’s eternity does. Walking in discipleship with another believer, whether they’re older, younger, or the same age as you, will bring spiritual growth and blessing to both of you. I’ve seen this in my own life, and we can see the example of Paul and Timothy as well. To conclude, here are a few more verses to encourage your own discipleship journey:
- “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.” Hebrews 3:13-14
- “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.” Colossians 1:28-29
- “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35
I hope you were encouraged and inspired by this post about Coldplay’s “Someone Special.” If you were, please do me a solid and pass the word along using the graphic below. And let me know if you’ve had a mentor or other important influence in your life!
Happy fangirling!
[…] of feeling inspired — here’s a not-so-subtle link to a whole post I wrote dedicated to this most excellent Coldplay song. Do go take a look if it should please you to do so […]
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