Musical Moments
Spring seems to be the season of musicals, and my family and I have enjoyed several experiences this year. I think the unique challenge of a musical is to be able to convey a story (believable or not doesn't really matter!) in a way that develops the characters and the plot through the various elements of music and staging more than the spoken word and dialogue among the characters. This is both tricky and challenging. The most recent musicals I have seen have been a high school presentation of "Beauty and the Beast", a community theater production of "West Side Story", and the Broadway touring company's production of "Sweeney Todd". Although these were certainly three different levels of production, each was done extremely well...and so worth the opportunity and privilege of experiencing them.
While each story is unique, the more I pondered the journey of each one, the more I found a common thread connecting them. In fact, the more I thought about so many productions I have experienced, the more I see that common thread woven somewhere into the story. Let's take a brief look at the three stories I have mentioned. "Beauty and the Beast" is filled with comedic moments amidst the tragedy of an entire castle living under a curse from which they are desperate to be free. "West Side Story" portrays love and loyalty amidst prejudice and assumed betrayal. There is so much tragic miscommunication abrew. "Sweeney Todd" is completely tragic. It is filled with heartache and vengeance born out of envy and covetousness. Again...so much miscommunication going on, which leads to sorrow and suffering. While being tragic, it has absolutely hilarious moments and is written and staged with such genius.
All three musicals are the products of genius minds, and all three focus on the element of human suffering as a result of just plain bad human choices, both self-inflicted and other-inflicted. So...here is the common thread I have found.. IT IS AS IF THE STORY ITSELF IS CRYING OUT FOR SOME KIND OF REDEMPTION...FOR SOME KIND OF A 'SAVIOR'. As I thought about this, I was reminded of Scripture. In Ecclesiastes 3:11 we are told that "God makes all things beautiful in His time, and that He has placed eternity into the minds and hearts of man". Imagine that...God, Himself creating each one of us with a 'sense' of His eternity inside of us; and He doesn't even abandon us to search for that fulfillment alone. He desires to guide us right to 'it'...which is, of course, HIM!
Let's look at Acts 17 beginning in verse 22... "So Paul, standing in the middle of the Areopagus said: 'Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, "TO AN UNKNOWN GOD". What you therefore worship as 'unknown', I will now tell you about.'" And you really need to read 'the rest of the story'! Paul gives the Greeks a beautiful account of who the one, true God is and what He has done for all of mankind.
My point is...and I know I can RAMBLE ON...is that God loves us SO MUCH that He places a need for Him in each one of us. He does not play 'Hide and Seek' with us, but rather 'Follow the Leader', and HE is the Leader! He desires to be found by me...by you...by everyone. He knows the impending tragedy of NOT finding Him; so...He makes it completely possible and do-able!
Now, I don't know where the hearts of those people are who had anything to do with writing the musicals of which I have spoken...whether or not they had/have a relationship with Jesus Christ, but I do know this... The stories that they have written seem to be woven with the imagery of "TO AN UNKNOWN GOD...HELP ME...SAVE ME...REDEEM ME..." Call on the name of the one true God, the Lord Jehovah, the Christ Jesus...and yes, He will!!
Thanks for reading,
Libby
While each story is unique, the more I pondered the journey of each one, the more I found a common thread connecting them. In fact, the more I thought about so many productions I have experienced, the more I see that common thread woven somewhere into the story. Let's take a brief look at the three stories I have mentioned. "Beauty and the Beast" is filled with comedic moments amidst the tragedy of an entire castle living under a curse from which they are desperate to be free. "West Side Story" portrays love and loyalty amidst prejudice and assumed betrayal. There is so much tragic miscommunication abrew. "Sweeney Todd" is completely tragic. It is filled with heartache and vengeance born out of envy and covetousness. Again...so much miscommunication going on, which leads to sorrow and suffering. While being tragic, it has absolutely hilarious moments and is written and staged with such genius.
All three musicals are the products of genius minds, and all three focus on the element of human suffering as a result of just plain bad human choices, both self-inflicted and other-inflicted. So...here is the common thread I have found.. IT IS AS IF THE STORY ITSELF IS CRYING OUT FOR SOME KIND OF REDEMPTION...FOR SOME KIND OF A 'SAVIOR'. As I thought about this, I was reminded of Scripture. In Ecclesiastes 3:11 we are told that "God makes all things beautiful in His time, and that He has placed eternity into the minds and hearts of man". Imagine that...God, Himself creating each one of us with a 'sense' of His eternity inside of us; and He doesn't even abandon us to search for that fulfillment alone. He desires to guide us right to 'it'...which is, of course, HIM!
Let's look at Acts 17 beginning in verse 22... "So Paul, standing in the middle of the Areopagus said: 'Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, "TO AN UNKNOWN GOD". What you therefore worship as 'unknown', I will now tell you about.'" And you really need to read 'the rest of the story'! Paul gives the Greeks a beautiful account of who the one, true God is and what He has done for all of mankind.
My point is...and I know I can RAMBLE ON...is that God loves us SO MUCH that He places a need for Him in each one of us. He does not play 'Hide and Seek' with us, but rather 'Follow the Leader', and HE is the Leader! He desires to be found by me...by you...by everyone. He knows the impending tragedy of NOT finding Him; so...He makes it completely possible and do-able!
Now, I don't know where the hearts of those people are who had anything to do with writing the musicals of which I have spoken...whether or not they had/have a relationship with Jesus Christ, but I do know this... The stories that they have written seem to be woven with the imagery of "TO AN UNKNOWN GOD...HELP ME...SAVE ME...REDEEM ME..." Call on the name of the one true God, the Lord Jehovah, the Christ Jesus...and yes, He will!!
Thanks for reading,
Libby
Labels: Libby
posted by Missy at
12:01 AM
1 Comments:
That was beautiful. Thank you for your appreciation and value of the arts...and for passing it on to your kids. I'm so thankful to have shared these experiences of God's beauty with you.
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