In the early 1960’s, a character named Gomer Pyle was a naïve, good-natured, optimistic auto mechanic on a TV program called “The Andy Griffith Show.” After a few seasons, the likeable, uncorrupted, wide-eyed, slack-jawed character launched a show of his own, “Gomer Pyle, USMC.” Though he appeared clueless and seemingly inept, his bungling shortcomings were often overshadowed by his kind and compassionate spirit. His second show ended 50 years ago in 1969, but those old enough to remember him, likely also remember some of his trademark expressions, such as, “Gawwwww-leeee,” “Surprise, surprise, surprise!”, “Shazam!”, and when he was disheartened, “Shame, shame, shame.”

Gomer Pyle was a character portrayed as a light-hearted, intellectual light-weight. But the actor, Jim Nabors, was much more than a comedian. Some of us still recall the first time we saw him open his mouth to sing and out came deep, rich, booming, baritone notes. We may not have exclaimed, “Surprise, surprise, surprise!”, but we certainly could have, because we certainly were. His startling professional singing voice caught us off guard. I remember a feeling of skeptical disbelief. Was this real? Was this really him singing? Was this full, vibrant, resonant sound so easily thundering out of goofy Gomer Pyle? It was initially hard to understand that this strikingly deep and mature voice came from this often misunderstood and shallowly-characterized person.

I never expected Gomer Pyle to sing like Jim Nabors, but I am so glad that he opened his mouth to let us hear his songs. (In fact, over his career, he recorded almost thirty albums, some even certified as gold or platinum.) When he sang, we came to know him more completely. Though not everyone would relate to his style of music, I wonder if almost everyone might relate to the staggering power of a song from a most surprising source. And I can’t help but wonder about so many other people in our world (often characters in their own right) who have a remarkably beautiful, profoundly meaningful, unsung song deep down inside them.

May the experience of Gomer Pyle opening his mouth so that Jim Nabors might sing, remind us that there is room in the world, even a great need in the world, for more songs to emerge in beautiful, breath-taking ways from unexpected voices. In a world of uncertainty, recall the enduring truth from the Chinese proverb, “A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song.” In a world where fierce competition stills and kills too many timid voices, recall the recommendation from Henry van Dyke, “Use the talents you possess. The woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang the best.” And in a world where we constantly feel undue pressure and harsh judgment, always braced for rejection, may we especially recall Rumi’s strong and liberating words, “I want to sing like the birds, not worrying about who hears or what they think.” (I understand the amount of courage required to raise our head and lift our voice, to sing a song that nobody expects us to sing, that nobody even knew was being composed inside us. Sometimes we need others to help us find our voice so we can sing our song. One of my favorite loving reminders is, “My beloved knows my song and sings it to me when I forget.”)

What is your song that the world needs to hear? What is the melody within that just might bring harmony without? What are the loving lyrics from your wounded, wonderful life that might just get humanity back in tune? The question is not, “Do you have a song?” The question is, “Will you sing it?” Please, sing it.