Dolly's Legacy - And Ours

I was watching the news when the shock wave hit. Dolly Parton had died. Suddenly there was no other news. No matter what news channel you turned to.

Hours on end, it was all about - not so much her death - as her life. One anchorperson said, "This isn't just a story. This is personal." This little girl from the mountain cabin with no electricity or running water was now being celebrated as perhaps the most beloved celebrity of modern times. And this balladeer of her "Coat of Many Colors" is now being honored by people of many colors and backgrounds.

Anything more written about her today feels like a drop in an ocean of tribute and remembrance. But taking a step back from it all, I've been seeing some, like the reporter said, personal takeaways from this time of tender hearts.

We're hearing much about her milestone music. Her trademark glamor and glow. Her larger than life personality.

While she would never have suggested she be nominated for sainthood, it is her goodness so many want to talk about.

It's about a legacy of lives touched - and how each of us will be remembered.

Dolly spoke boldly about her faith in Jesus that began with the hymns coming out of that mountain cabin. And to be sure, many of the qualities people are remembering fondly about her mirror how the Savior called us to live.

When my dear Karen went to meet Him, I was inundated with tributes to her. Tributes with a recurring theme: "She made me feel..." Loved. Important. Heard. Worth something. Beautiful. I could go on.

Most people who choose Jesus do it because of a Christian they know. Most people who do not choose Jesus do it because of a Christian they know. I hear from so many who choose to not believe, that they see Christians as angry… judgmental… unkind… all about rules - or politics.

The tributes to Dolly Parton reflect some of what the world needs to see more of in those of us who claim to follow Christ. Some qualities that are magnetic because they're so rare.

Seeing people, not categories.

The religious leaders saw "publicans and sinners." Jesus saw Zacchaeus and Mary Magdalene. Many people testified to feeling Dolly's welcome, no matter their category. If I'm to be like Jesus, I've got to see past the categories - racial, generational, political, occupational, social - and whatever label keeps me from seeing the "made in God's image" person!

Elevating the other person.

My daughter hosts a breakthrough podcast, "Thrive in the Mess," that tackles issues of brokenness in our world today. One guest was an impressive young man talking about his journey with autism.

Yesterday, he posted how in high school, he asked Dolly to go to his prom with him. Amazingly, he got a three paragraph personal note back from her, explaining why she couldn't and thanking him for the honor.

So many celebrities, interviewers and everyday folks are remembering how Dolly lifted them up.

Jesus touched the lepers no one else would touch. Reached out to the woman ostracized for a condition society called "unclean" - and called her "Daughter."

Which leads me to ask: "Do I make each person I'm with feel seen and valued?" We don't forget someone like that.

Avoiding what divides.

Reports surfaced about how Dolly tried diligently to steer clear of being identified with any political label or person.

Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God" (Matthew 5:9). That should be the only label that truly fits us Jesus-followers - "child of God." Anything that adds baggage to our Gospel, however noble, can become a reason for someone deciding not to check out our Jesus.

Seeing our blessings as a trust.

So many tributes include stories of Dolly modeling that. In many ways, repurposing her wealth to change the lives of children and needy groups and individuals.

Jesus said we should be ready to account for how we used what He's given us to bless the hungry and thirsty, the sick, the incarcerated, the stranger. A generous Jesus-follower is a reason for someone to follow Him.

In the many stories about one woman's legacy of lives impacted, there's a mirror for us to see ourselves. So much of it may come down to a few simple words from Scripture that I memorized in Sunday School:

"Be ye kind one to another."

Kind. Is that what they will remember?