Thomas J Parlette
It is what is it is… or is it?
2nd Cor. 6: 1-13
6/23/24
The New England Patriots former head coach once took the podium in Gillette Stadium to face reporters before an upcoming game with the Buffalo Bills. He was asked if he expected the Bills to do anything differently. The coach said – “I think relative to Buffalo, they’re Buffalo.”
In other words – it is what it is.
Later, when he was asked if he was proud of what the team had been able to do in the post Tom Brady era, he said, “Whatever happened in the past, whatever it is, it is… Nothing we can do about it. We’re moving on.”
In other words – it is what it is.
That expression has been around for quite a while. In 1949, an article appeared in The Nebraska State Journal in which J.E. Lawrence used a phrase unknown to that point in English journalism or literature. He was describing the difficulty faced during the frontier-era life in rural Nebraska – “New land is harsh, and vigorous, and sturdy. It scorns evidence of weakness. There is nothing of sham or hypocrisy in it. It is what it is, without apology.” (1)
That phrase lay dormant for about 50 years before gathering steam in the early 2000’s. It was used frequently in sports.
In 2004, President George W. Bush was told by an aide that his opponent, John Kerry was leading in the polls. He responded with a shrug and said, “It is what it is.” (2)
That phrase is now used in all walks of life – psychology, business, the military and even from the pulpit. One observer notes – “Throughout these contexts, “it is what it is” is used as a kind of verbal shrug signaling resigned acceptance of an unchangeable situation.”
Someone once posted this question on an online bulletin board: “What does “It is what it is” mean. The responses were varied and interested. Some liked the phrase:
“To me, it has a connotation of “letting go”, of accepting a circumstance for what it is, and moving on, or going with the flow.”
“For me, it means, “That’s life. You can’t change the situation, problem or reality. No sense talking about it or getting too stressed out. You have to make peace with reality and keep going.”
Or this, probably my favorite – “It means, I wish the tree hadn’t fallen across the road, but it is what it is. No point in raging or crying about it. Time to break out the chain saw and get to work.”
Other people really hated the phrase.
“It’s used as an excuse to be complacent, for whatever reason.”
“What does the expression “It is what it is” mean? Generally, it means the person using it has no explanation for why something has happened, but wants to sound wise. My usual response, mostly suppressed, is to punch them. Its meaningless drivel intended to make the speaker sound profound.” (3) Wow – ok, strong reaction.
Perhaps people are tired of over analyzing life. I guess it’s possible that, in this world of ever-changing realities, we are simply getting more comfortable with change and the unknown, and see no need to worry, resist or change anything. After all, it is what it is.
Or maybe we’re just throwing up our hands, resigning ourselves to what is. We give up. We keep a stiff upper lip, keep calm and carry on. As Jimmy Buffet once said – “Is it ignorance or apathy? Hey, I don’t know, and I don’t care.”
John McWhorter, writing in an op-ed piece in the New York Times, admits that he is not in love with the phrase, but notes that many people don’t have a problem with it, saying that it means “that one must sometimes make one’s peace with misfortune or difficulty rather than get torn up about it.” (4) With that interpretation, “it is what it is” is essentially an English version of ‘que sera sera’ – whatever will be, will be. A kind of verbal shrug.
You are essentially helpless. There is nothing further that can be done. And moreover, I don’t care.
It is what it is – or is it?
The apostle Paul encountered more than his fair share of adversity. “As servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way; through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights and hunger.” Paul’s list of tests and trials clearly shows that he did not take an “it is what is” view of life. For him – it isn’t what it is. Punished – but not killed. Sorrowful – but rejoicing. Poor – yet making many rich.
Paul would not and did not say to others – “It is what it is.” And he wasn’t ready to fatalistically say that about his own life either. He was realistic, for sure – but he always saw beyond the obvious nature of his circumstances.
Perhaps Paul is suggesting that it is not always what we think it is. What is happening to us is not biologically determined, nor is it in anyway inevitable. “See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!” Here, Paul cites Isaiah 49: 8, in which Isaiah predicts that the time will come when Judah will be brought back from exile. What we now see as an interminable situation is not that at all. This is why we’re better off thinking, “it is not what it seems,” rather than “it is what it is.”
If you ask a young man named Cole Fitzgerald what it is like to face childhood cancer for a second time – years after his first rare cancer diagnosis – he will say – “It is what it is.”
And what it is in his case is a second bout with Pancreatoblastoma, a type of cancer that has been documented only 50 times and just once following a neuroblastoma diagnosis. That one case? – That’s Cole Fitzgerald.
“It definitely came out of left field,” says Cole. “I definitely didn’t see it coming. Nobody saw it coming. And it brought a lot of frustration, anger and confusion because I’ve been clean for the past 15 years,”
Before Cole’s second diagnosis, he was slated to move into the dorms at Temple University; now all that is on hold.
“It’s hard living in a world where other kids aren’t cancer survivors, says Cole. “It’s hard to relate to other people. It’s like you stand out. I have some moments when I’m stereotyped with being a childhood cancer survivor. It’s a blessing and curse in a way.”
Through it all, Cole kept going – excelling in school and pursuing his dream of working in athletics while serving as a high school football team manager.
Pancreatoblastoma is so rare there is no standard of care and virtually no research specific to his disease. But even though it is what it is – Cole and his family have hope and continue to fight.
As Cole says -“You know it’s almost like when you are driving your car on a paced road and there’s a pothole. I’ve had a lot of potholes in my life, and sometimes I have to go around them. But sometimes I have had to drive straight toward them. And this one, I am driving toward it at full speed. No matter the pain of chemo, the frustration of not being in school, not living a normal life, it is all going to be worth it when I get that scan says I am free.” (5)
It is what it is… or is it?
Too often when we say “It is what it is”, we are suggesting that there is nothing that can be done. But Paul would not agree. Paul would stand with Cole Fitzgerald. There was nothing in Paul’s faith that inclined him to accept what was apparently his fate. Although others saw their lives from a ground-level perspective, Paul was able to see his life from a 40,000 feet perspective. Even as forces beyond his control tugged at him, he assessed the situation as one who was above the fray. To casually accept what was happening to him with a verbal shrug of his shoulders, was completely foreign to Paul.
Paul’s words today suggest some ways that we might push back against the fatalistic aspect of “It is what it is.”
First, Paul points out that there is no time like the present – “Now is the acceptable time; Now is the day of salvation.” Now is the time to get a new outlook at what your obstacles and challenges might be. Obstacles are simply challenges to take on.
Second – keep in mind that others have successfully overcome difficulties and adversity. Paul uses himself as an example.
Third, Paul makes it clear that we shouldn’t get hung up on what others say or think. As he puts it; “We are treated as imposters, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see, we are alive… as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.”
And, never forget the value of community. We are not meant to navigate the storms and obstacles of life alone. Our community of family, friends and fellow believers, plays a vital role in helping us overcome adversity.
That is the essence of the gospel. We are called to proclaim to the world that “It is not what it is.” Things are not what they seem. Obstacles and adversity are simply opportunities to grow. Instead, we are reminded that the Good News is all about rebirth, fresh starts, being born again, being alive once dead, walking in light rather than darkness, restoration, regeneration and renewal. With this outlook, obstacles move from hardships to challenges.
There is an old Zen story about a King, whose people had grown soft and entitled. Unsatisfied with this state of affairs, he hoped to teach them a lesson. His plan was simple – he would place a large boulder in the middle of the main road, completely blocking entry into the city. He would then hide nearby and observe their reactions.
The king watched as subject after subject came to this obstacle and turned away. Or at best, tried half-heartedly before giving up. Many openly complained or cursed the King, bemoaning the inconvenience, but none managed to do anything about it.
After several days, a lone peasant came along on his way to town. He did not turn away. Instead, he strained and strained, trying to push the boulder out of the way. Then an idea came to him – he scrambled into the nearby woods to find something he could use for leverage. He came back with a large branch he had crafted into a lever and used it to dislodge the massive rock from the road.
Beneath the rock was a purse of gold coins and a note from the King, which said, “The obstacle on the path becomes the path. Never forget, within every obstacle is an opportunity to improve our condition.” (6)
It is what it is… or is it? There might be an obstacle before us, and it is what it is – but it is also an opportunity.
Coach Belichick told reporters: “Whatever happened in the past, whatever it is, it is… Nothing we can do about it. We’re moving on.”
Coach Paul expresses the idea even better in a letter he wrote to the Philippians: “This one thing I do; forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.
The past - with all its struggles, mistakes, adversity and pain – is what it is.
The future – is moving on. It’s straining forward, and pressing on, as Paul says
Whenever we are tempted to utter “It is what it is” – let us always follow it with the question – “is it?
That be so for you and for me.
May God be praised. Amen.
1. Homileticsonline, retrieved 5/30/24.
2. Ibid…
3. Ibid…
4. Ibid…
5. Ibid…
6. Ibid…
