James Earl Jones
10th September 2024
Like many, I learned yesterday of the passing of actor James Earl Jones at his home at the age of 93. Even if his name doesn't ring a bell, his voice is unmistakable – having lent his uniquely powerful tones to the menacing Darth Vader in the Star Wars saga and the wise and strong Mufasa in The Lion King.
Behind those standout roles are numerous other remarkable performances on stage and screen, earning him numerous awards and pioneering a path for Black actors of his generation. He was among the select few performers to achieve the highly coveted EGOT status – awarded for winning an Emmy (for television), a Grammy (for music), an Oscar (for film), and a Tony (for theater)!
The term "iconic" is often overused, but considering the cinematic moments defined by his voice, it's difficult to find a term that more aptly describes his career.
Tributes have flooded in from acquaintances and collaborators, with one of the most touching coming from co-star LeVar Burton, who stated, "There will never be another with his unique blend of grace."
The Faith of One Famous Father
I recently learned of James Earl Jones' deep Christian faith. While serving in the military, he was compelled to contemplate his future. His passion was the arts, especially poetry and theater. Amidst the constant presence of pain, struggle, and death, he sought to understand life's deeper questions of purpose and meaning. He found solace in conversations and prayers with a Catholic chaplain. He later reflected that the only aspects of his life "not associated with the art of killing" were his copy of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare and his faith.
In the 80s Hanna-Barbera produced a great animated series called The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible in which he voiced the role of Pharoah! (I bet the producers must have pinched themselves to have been able to cast one of the most memorable villainous voices in that role!!)
But he says the greatest honour of his life was getting to record an audio version of the scriptures! He lent his famous voice to countless passages, including the entire New Testament, and it’s still available to download in a digital format.
The Man behind the Voice
But this incredible career almost never happened...
In an article in 1993, James Earl Jones wrote:
“Since I was eight I’d had trouble speaking. It was so bad that whenever I stood up in class to read, the other kids snickered and laughed. I always sat down, my face burning with shame... I’m not sure what caused my stuttering. Perhaps it was an emotional problem. I was born in Arkabutla, Mississippi, and when I was about five, I moved to live with my grandparents on their farm near Dublin in northern Michigan.
It was traumatic moving from the warm, easy ways of catfish country to the harsh climate of the north, where people seemed so different. Fortunately, my granddaddy was a gentle man, a farmer who taught me to love the land.”
That granddaddy was also a preacher who was known for being a great orator with a huge powerful voice. But at the time, that huge legacy cast a heavy shadow over him.
“I could talk, all right. Our farm animals knew that. I found it easy to call the pigs, tell the dogs to round up the cows, and vent my feelings to Fanny, the horse whose big brown eyes and lifted ears seemed to express interest in all I said. But when visitors came and I was asked to say hello, I could only stand, pound my feet, and grit my teeth. That awful feeling of my voice being trapped got worse as I grew older.”
The Man Behind The Man Behind The Voice
But when James was 14, he met an English Teacher by the name of Donald Crouch. He describes him as:
“a tall, lean man with gray hair; English was his favorite subject, poetry his deepest love… He held a book of poems as if it were a diamond necklace, turning pages as if uncovering treasures. He memorized a poem every day, explaining that if he ever lost his eyesight he would still be able to savour all that beauty.”
They bonded over their passion for the spoken word, and when Professor Crouch discovered that James not only adored poetry but also penned his own, he hatched a clever scheme to coax the shy voice into the spotlight. While reviewing a poem James had submitted, he declared to the class that it was so exceptional, James must have plagiarized it from a published author. James, incensed, vehemently defended his originality. Crouch then dared him to recite it from memory if it was truly his creation. The irate young man rose to the challenge, and before he knew it, he had
“recited my poem all the way through—without hesitation or fault! I stood amazed and floated back to my desk in a daze, amid wild applause… I discovered I did have a voice, a strong one.”
Behind Donald Crouch’s passion for James – and other young people like him – was a quiet, but confident Christian faith:
“He never pushed anything at me again; he just wanted all his students to wake up. He never even pressed us with religion but figured if we did wake up we would find God, find our calling and, in so doing, find life!”
Crouch served as a mentor to James throughout his school years, encouraging him to participate in speaking competitions and debates, and consistently attending his school performances. Their friendship persisted beyond school, with regular conversations up until Crouch's death. In his later years, although Crouch's sight had nearly gone, the beautiful words he had memorized still resonated.
“he was still living in a world vibrant with all of the beautiful treasures he had stored!”
James dedicated his audio-version of the scriptures to his mentor:
“And so, when I was asked to record the New Testament, I really did it for a tall, lean man with gray hair who had not only helped to guide me to The Author of the Scriptures, but as the father of my resurrected voice, had also helped me find abundant life.”
Faith in Education…
For both staff and students alike, the world of education is not always an easy place to be a Christian. But stories like these remind and inspire us of the simple power of having someone to believe in us, support us and encourage us.
A good teacher cannot only inspire passion within us, but also help us to discover a voice inside us we didn’t know we had. And of course, Christian teachers can help guide people not just to the scriptures themselves, but “to The Author of the Scriptures” Himself!
In big and public ways, but also in smaller more personal ways, that love of God for individuals can make itself heard, seen, felt and known. And we need to uphold those working in education in prayer to empower and encourage them in the precious and powerful roles they play.
On the Prayer24-7 website there’s a special page dedicated to just that:
https://www.24-7prayer.com/resource/pray-for-students-and-teachers/
As we journey deeper into this new term, with all of it’s excitement and challenges – let’s uphold our Christian students (and their parents), staff, schools workers and CUs… and pray that a new generations many might:
“wake up… find God… and in so doing, find life!”