American Idol Gives Back: Just Imagine

Melinda Doolittle made me cry. This whole show is making me cry.

Blake did Imagine.....just as I imagined he would. The melody is so magical and if I pretend to not hear the line "imagine there is no religion", the song takes me away to that place of imagined perfection. While he is no vocal powerhouse ala Melinda or LaKisha (later: or as Jordin), this is the first time it seemed like he believed what he sang. I still see him as a front for a boy band.

LaKisha sang beautifully and got ripped by the judges. I've never heard Fantasia sing this song, so I have no reference point.

Wow. Phil is growing on me like a fungus. He was so awkward. He viewed himself as such a poseur for so long he convinced me to see him that way, too. Last week he seemed like a real person for once. And tonight he did it again. Simon gives him really good advice. Go country, young man. My brother thinks he's "thoroughly mediocre." Well, his mediocre has gotten better. Maybe my expectations were so low the only way to go was up.

You'll Never Walk Alone. Go Jordan, go! And boy does she nail it. Ha! The kids in my church choir will know the song now. I told them that they'd be singing this and they said, "What?" They'll know now. Good. What a beautiful song. What a lovely voice. She believes.....

I missed Chris' performance. And seeing the recap, I think tonight might be his last night.

How great is it that American Idol is turning its massive audience toward helping the world's needy? It's a thoroughly American solution: innovative, efficient and, fun. Who knew that stamping out hunger could be fun? Wait a minute, lots of people know that serving their fellow man is fun. And that brings me to Simon.

Simon's comment about the food bank volunteers,"I've never met nice people" struck me. Really? He's never met nice people. Huh. England must be more far gone than feared. My thought was: Simon needs to get religion. There are nice people serving the needy in churches all across America and all over the world. Who does he think serves meals to the starving? Who runs the food banks? Who gets to New Orleans before the Feds? Who houses those displaced? Who feeds them? Who clothes them? Churches. Christians. Believers.

Maybe he just doesn't know any religious people. Or maybe he is getting to know them. I heard on the local Christian station that one of the past Idol contestants believes that Simon's heart is changing. Melinda Doolittle "has a heart for the Lord" and what we see on Idol, what Simon keeps thinking is fake, her friend says, is real. She really is that nice and that humble. He has a tough time believing.

That's okay. Lots of people struggle to believe. It's tough to have faith in a Higher Being who can't be touched or felt. It's tough to imagine that a person's life can be transformed by faith in a Savior who died for each person. Hang out at the food bank or visit missions in Africa, it's a little easier to believe. Imagine, Simon Cowell being transformed by the witness of believers.

Just imagine.