The stage was set. The velvet red curtain swayed with anticipation. Nervous smiles lit up the sea of rows, hoping and praying for a good night. Programs promised what may or may not come to pass. Ushers moved with grace, leading those to their seats, porcelain dolls in monkey hats. And they waited to be shown, but who would really steal the show?
Every talent show has the same act, the same song and dance. Those gathered in the theater had seen it all before, and they wanted something different. They needed someone different, someone like once before. He stole the night away with a brilliant smile, long strides of grace, and a strong heart of change, but once crowned as king, his act fell away. And here they all were once again.
The curtain rose. One act followed another, but again, it was the same song and dance. The bizarre twisted and turned, dazzling and frightening, but were they really the ones we were looking for now? Were there no leaders left among men? The show went on, hours slipping into hours, and chased by disappointment. The crown dangled in suspense, yearning to find home.
Programs that promised change fell to the concrete floor. Hands tapped anxiously or folded in impatience. Smiles were no more, replaced by snarls and frowns. Eyes shed tears or were pools of heartbreak for the world was breaking them down, and nobody was holding a life raft to come and sweep them away from the brink. Instead, the EXIT door shined red, followed by a gaping, black void to swallow them all, but still they remained seated.
There were a few holding promise in their hands. Their songs and dance were as old as the old republic days, but they might hold true. Their words rang through empty hearts and stirred chaotic minds. Their strength was what was cried for, needed, but would they falter under oath? Or would they do what they said and promised that they would do? How could we trust them?
The show was over. Ten bucks well spent, but no bittersweet popcorn to chase the bitter taste away. Nobody was crowned tonight. The talent show would continue long into the fall and winter days, and tickets were once again for sale. But so was what was at stake, and everyone was tired, broken, and aching to go home. There would be no answers to their prayers now. There was only waiting and watching as the world turned, and as the world turned, chaos would reign, for these were dark days that stretched ahead with long lines leading into nowhere. And someone was needed to grab the reigns, pull us back, and bring us to where we need to be, but that act was not seen tonight. Those words of comfort, strength, and promise did not hold strong but stuttered under doubt and suspicion, for we have all played this game. It’s not a talent show. It’s a popularity contest, and the best man on campus should never have been king. But there are no leaders among men, just men trying to be our leaders.
