SHE FUCUSED ON LIFTING UP THIS WORLD'S UNDERDOGS

 1946 - 2026

I couldn't help posting my reactions to the death of Dolly Parton on August 25th. She was an amazing woman who just happened to be a country music singer, movie star and business person. She was known for her kindness, generosity and spirituality.  She was plain "good" and "good at" what she did!  

The reason I decided to write this post was the fact that my favorite song of hers is Coat of Many Colors - the lyrics of which I am printing below. As a person from humble country roots myself, I identify with this song in particular. It brings back a very, very vivid memory from when I was probably five years old, just one of two memories of being five years old. We too were poor in 1949, but didn't realize it. That summer, my mother made some home-made summer shorts for me and my brother from a worn-out pair of my father's kaki work pants. I got one leg of his old pants for my shorts and my year younger brother got the other leg for his shorts. I remember being so proud of wearing them! We had not started school yet, and everybody in Rhodelia back then was poor, so we didn't have to worry about being teased.   

COAT OF MANY COLORS

Back through the years I go wanderin' once again

Back to the seasons of my youth

I recall a box of rags that someone gave us

And how my momma put the rags to use

There were rags of many colors

But every piece was small

And I didn't have a coat

And it was way down in the fall

Momma sewed the rags together

Sewin' every piece with love

She made my coat of many colors

That I was so proud of

As she sewed, she told a story

From The Bible, she had read

About a coat of many colors

Joseph wore and then she said

"Perhaps this coat will bring you

Good luck and happiness"

And I just couldn't wait to wear it

And momma blessed it with a kiss

My coat of many colors

That my momma made for me

Made only from rags

But I wore it so proudly

Although we had no money

Oh, I was rich as I could be

In my coat of many colors

My momma made for me

So with patches on my britches

And holes in both my shoes

In my coat of many colors

I hurried off to school

Just to find the others laughing

And making fun of me

And my coat of many colors

My momma made for me

And oh I couldn't understand it

For I felt I was rich

And I told them of the love

My momma sewed in every stitch

And I told 'em all the story

Momma told me while she sewed

And how my coat of many colors

Was worth more than all their clothes

But they didn't understand it

And I tried to make them see

That one is only poor

Only if they choose to be

Now I know we had no money

But I was rich as I could be

In my coat of many colors

My momma made for me

Made just for me

Dolly Parton had several Jesus-like qualities without drawing attention to them, as if they were "second-nature." She was genuine, honest, real, true, original and credible. Like Jesus in the gospels, she focused her energy and locked in on lifting up "underdogs" like herself. In her songs, she encouraged the "looked-down on" and "the left-out" and modeled for them to see that they, too, could become more than they, or anyone around them, ever expected! 

Obviously, I am not as talented as she was, and certainly not as successful, but I too came from a humble background, have always focused on underdogs like myself in my ministry, always given credit to where I came from and  continuously tried to "re-invent" myself!  In fact, that is precisely why I have always admired her for "reinventing" herself so often. I have passionately tried to "re-invent" myself several times over the years. In doing that, both of us have had to overcome doubt, criticism and the temptation to back off and give up. We have both had to muster the courage to resist the temptation to believe that "life is something that happens to you and all you can do is to make the most of it" and choose to operate rather out of the belief that "life is about creating yourself - over and over again" as long as possible!  

She was a model to me to always pray for the courage to be authentic, to be proud of where I came from, to develop imaginative ways for telling that story and to be responsible for a personal, but wise, outreach to those who need a helping hand (in my case the mission areas here in southern Kentucky, in the Caribbean, in two east African countries and my home parish.).  She lived two of my favorite Scripture passages: "Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will be in turn be measured out to you." (Luke 6:38)  "Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more." (Luke 12:48) 

May Dolly Parton rest in peace! I am convinced that God is going to be especially good to her since she was especially good to his people, especially those who lived on the margins!