Psalm 19:3-4. Although they have no words or language, and
their voices are not heard, their sound has gone out into all lands, and their
message to the ends of the world.
The first awe-inspiring
moment of my life was while experiencing the opera Aida in the Arena di Verona
when I was 19 years old. My seat was centuries’ old granite at the top of the
amphitheater which was built by the Romans in 30 AD. The heat was debilitating
and the air was pungent, humid, and still.
It was during the third act that I experienced a feeling that to this day defies words. The moment began subtly: every few minutes a breeze would gently wash over the audience and the stagnant air was briefly light, fresh and breathable. As the sun set, candles were lit and held by audience members throughout the theater, making it appear as if the starry sky above had been lowered into the seats beside us. Aida begins to sing the gorgeous aria “O Patria Mia” about her beloved homeland with lyrics that describe blue skies and gentle breezes, green hills and perfumed shores, cool valleys and blessed refuge. Suddenly inside the arena the breeze picks up and starts to rush towards the soprano so that she’s singing into gusts of wind as her dress flows behind her dramatically. As the aria hits its climax, sheet lightning starts flaring and crackling behind the stage, miles away in the night sky! It was as if the conductor had cued God to underscore the moment, as if He were a member of the orchestra! It was breathtaking.
It was this moment that
left me with an overwhelming and indescribable sense that what I had
experienced was not the magical mix of Verdi’s music, the 2000-year-old
architecture and a dash of divine intervention, but my first glimpse into the
grandness of the Artist who had made every single element of that magical
moment possible.
My prayer for you is
this: May you stand under the skies and see the Artist—not just His
artwork—around you. Allow all of your senses to take in the majesty before you
and feel God’s glory speak—without words—for itself.
—Carey Sheffield
I so appreciated your Lenten Reflection today, Carey. Just lovely. I have met very few artists who don’t appreciate that art, particularly music, transcends the rational and invites us to a supra-rational state of mystery, longing, and beauty. Another way to speak of God, eh?
ReplyDeleteThanks again for this profound reflection…and for everything else you do.
Faithfully,