Humility of a superstar with God-given talent

AT the end of the day when I was supply teaching in primary schools, I would have a little fun with the pupils as they stood behind desks awaiting dismissal, simply offering some food for thought.

For example, I would say: “Think about this. There was once a carpenter who used to bite his nails.”

This was followed by a pause on my part whilst awaiting some smiles depicting both understanding and amusement.

Then I’d follow it with another, seeking a similar response, such as, “I see, said the blind man.” And it is a reminder of the latter which I feel was so pregnant with meaning on listening to a BBC Radio 4 World Service broadcast featuring Andrea Bocelli explaining his Catholic faith.

He drew attention to the fact that he was diagnosed with congenital glaucoma at five months after birth and by the age of 12, following a football accident, became completely blind.

Then he went on to indicate how the deep faith of his parents had laid the foundations for his own faith and alluded to the fact that he had a degree in law.

Also, he revealed how grateful he was to have received the gift of such a wonderful tenor voice. This latter talent has, of course, led to international acclaim of some magnitude.

With much clarity he dealt with a sort of synthesis of the traditional arguments for the existence of God, the one from design, more technically known as the teleological argument, appealing to him more than any other.

In its simplest form this states that the world as we see it would suggest it is not a mere accident but rather the handiwork of a designer which we refer to as God.

Though not mentioning William Paley by name, he did allude to his type of thinking on the subject which in much simplified form is as follows: you come across a pocket watch in a field, open up the back and view the mechanism. Though no designer is actually present, you can most certainly infer from all the intricacies involved that there is one

He revealed how grateful he was to have received the gift of such a wonderful tenor voice

and that it is designed for a specific purpose. Thus the watch is analogous to the world and watchmaker to God. At least this is at the heart of the argument.

Incidentally, William Paley (17431805) was an English clergyman, Christian apologist, philosopher and utilitarian.

What became so apparent to me throughout the broadcast is that such an argument could appeal to someone who was denied sight at such an early age, yet in such a short time had come to view nature with such awe and wonder.

And perhaps what came across with so much poignancy in this broadcast is that in explaining his faith he could simplify with the simplification of so much depth.

In all humility, he attributed his talents to God, coming by way of a gift.

David Abbott, Stoke Golding