BY
KEITH TAN
There
is no motivator more powerful in the universe than love.
Yet
in too many areas of our lives and in the world, we do not choose the path of
love. We spend billions of dollars
trying to fix broken individuals and communities around the world. But the most destructive disease that we face
is loveless-ness. For loveless-ness is
at the root of broken marriages and broken families; of loneliness and
addictions; of mistrust and broken relationships; of being unwanted and feeling
insignificant; of the suffering poor and needy being written off; of warring
tribes, factions, and nations; and so on.
But
where there is love, there is hope, and there is joyful service. Where there is service, there is peace.
We
succumb to fear because frankly, it’s easier.
Love requires hard work. It
requires a sacrifice that demands our very lives – a daily dying. In fact, it is so difficult that it is
practically impossible for any human to sustain without the power of God. We need to be inspired and be filled by
Heaven’s Spirit, to be connected with God in order to choose love. And this is why we are presenting the annual
spring concert, Love Reaches.
At
the heart of the mission of the Music Ministry of Christ Church Episcopal is to
help people connect with God through music, believing that when we are in
relationship with Him, we are transformed and we are empowered.
In
this concert, the multi-generational choirs of Christ Church explored the
ultimate Story of love: the craving of every human heart; the reaching of
Heaven to earth; the transforming power of love; and the hopeful vision of love
reaching every person on this planet.
The beauty of the music and the power of truth in these scripture-loaded
lyrics lifted and inspired hearts.
I
have always enjoyed how our congregation and our musicians appreciate a wide
range of styles, and how we weave seamlessly between them. For what connects them is the
artistic-spiritual intentionality of ensuring that the purpose of every song
serves to connect the heart of the worshipper to the heart of God.
In
this concert musically, in Christ Church’s fashion, the style of music spanned
across a tremendously wide variety ranging from beautiful classical choral
works by Palestrina and Vaughan Williams to powerful and explosive contemporary
songs by Steven Curtis Chapman, Kari Jobe and others. We also be performed two of my original
compositions, and debuted two songs arranged by me.
There
are so many compelling pieces in this program, but one piece I was excited to
share was “Ubi Caritas” by Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo.
Ubi
caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.
“Where
charity and love are, God is there.” This
challenging and gorgeous piece opens a glimpse of heaven on earth, and invites
us to fulfill our true purpose in life – to love God and to love one another.
— Keith Tan is the Music Minister here at
Christ Church Episcopal
