Bruised but Brave: Living as a New Creation
by Fr. Joe Nassal, c.pp.s., Provincial Director
See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. Be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create…Isaiah 65, 17-18
On the long flights to and from Vietnam in April,
I caught up on some of the movies that I missed at the
theaters during the year. On the way over, I watched The
Darkest Hour for which Gary Oldman won the Oscar for
Best Actor for his portrayal of Winston Churchill. On
the return flight from visiting our mission in Vietnam,
I watched a film that I had no desire to see when it was
in theaters, The Greatest Showman. But, if you want a
soundtrack for the New Creation, listen to the lyrics of
several of the songs from this movie musical.
For those not familiar with the film, it tells the
story of P.T. Barnum and how the Barnum and Bailey
Circus, the so-called “greatest show on earth,” began.
Though I suspect the screenplay took some liberties
with history and only really scanned the highlights of
Barnum’s life, the lyrics of several songs spoke volumes
about dreaming big dreams and having the energy and
imagination to make the dream come true.
But the song saturated with the spirituality of
the Precious Blood is, “This is Me.” In the film, it is
sung by the Bearded Lady who is joined by all the
other misfits and freaks that Barnum has brought
together to form the greatest show on earth. He
sought out the most unusual acts, people who were
locked out of sight because of their deformities.
People like the World’s Tallest Man, the Dog Boy,
Tom Thumb, and the Bearded Lady. When Barnum
first invites them to join his show, they resist be-
cause they have been ridiculed their entire lives for
how they look. But Barnum convinces them that
people will come to see them, not to laugh at them
but to celebrate their uniqueness.
The song, “This Is Me,” occurs after Barnum has
become a success and has been invited to entertain the
Queen of England. He meets an opera singer who he
believes will bring in the sophisticated, educated, high-
brow audience to see his show. So, he sponsors the first
performance of the “Swedish Nightingale” and invites
all the elite members of New York society. They are
spellbound by her voice and compelling performance.
It is a smashing success and Barnum believes he has
widened the circle of the greatest show on earth.
continued on page 8
July 2018 • The New Wine Press • 7