The LORD is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. – Exodus 15:2

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 25, 2018): Exodus 15

At the 2018 Video Music Awards, which took place just after the death of Aretha Franklin, “The Queen of Soul,” at the age of 76, Madonna did a tribute to the “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” singer. But the tribute did not go over well, especially with fans of Franklin. Some people took to social media to complain about the sentiments offered by Madonna. The basic complaint was that there was too much Madonna, and too little “Aretha Franklin,” in the tribute. Madonna opened up long speech by expressing thanks to “The Queen of “Soul” for “changing her life. Madonna then explained that Franklin’s 1967 hit “(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman” had given her the courage to make it through an audition early in her career; at a time when she had yet to become Madonna and was still searching for her identity. And the result of that encouragement was all that Madonna had become. The message of the tribute was clear; without Franklin, we might not have ever had a Madonna.

Unfortunately, the viewers found the long tribute heavy on Madonna’s career and her gift to music, and short on Aretha Franklin. The speech focused on Madonna’s accomplishments, and was relatively light on the vast accomplishments of “The Queen of Soul’s.” For some, the speech was a perfect example of what Aretha Franklin might have said had the roles been reversed and it was Madonna who had died, and Franklin who was giving the tribute.

Admittedly, tributes are hard. And the truth is that the person we know best is ourselves. And sometimes it is hard to break out of that shell and stop talking about us so that we can immerse ourselves in the other, which is why good tribute speeches are rare. Madonna is not the first to have failed at the task, and she most definitely won’t be the last.

But maybe “The Song of Moses and Miriam” provides us with a template for a good a tribute. As you read through the song, take special not that Moses, Miriam, and Aaron are not mentioned even once. The total focus is on God.

There is no mention of Moses journey into leadership, of Miriam’s work as a prophet, or of Aaron’s way with words. There is no mention that, without Moses, the people of Israel would still be slaves in Egypt. No mention of all that Moses had sacrificed, at this advanced age, to lead Israel. No mention of the special challenge that the people of Israel were to lead. All there is is God. Moses is not the salvation of Israel; God is the salvation. And all praise is directed at God, who is the God of Moses, and the God of Moses’s father. The focus remains on this God who has guided Israel through the years, and who will continue to guide Israel even now into whatever the future might hold.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Exodus 16