So I bought a new CD this week and had an unexpected encounter with a bit of theology written by the artist:
Implicit in the story of the birth of Christ is the knowledge of his death and his subsequent Resurrection. This is what connects it to the secular songs about the cycle of the seasons. We are reminded that there is light and life at the centre of the darkness that is Winter–or conversely, that, no matter how comfortable we feel in the cradle, there is darkness and danger all around us.
Amazing insight, that.
The writer of this paragraph, and the artist behind the CD, is Sting.
The CD is ‘If On A Winter’s Night…’
The project is inspired by traditional music from the British Isles, and celebrates the many facets of winter.
There is, as you might imagine, quite a bit of folklore wrapped up in ancient songs from the British Isles. Sting writes about the background of each song with a clear respect for the history and mystery of each one. It is not a collection of Christmas music… it is ‘winter’ music. But he does allude to The Christmas Story, saying…
Since the first millennium the festival of Christmas has become the central and defining event of the winter season; the story of Christ’s birth contains many magical elements, prefigured by ancient prophecy… I appreciate the beauty of these stories and how they have inspired musicians and poets for many centuries. It was my desire to treat these themes with reverence and respect, and despite my personal agnosticism, the sacred symbolism of the Church’s art still exerts a powerful influence over me.
After describing the songs which come from the Christmas story, he wrote the paragraph at the top of this post. You might want to read it again.
Do you see it? A man who respects the story of Christ but does not hold the belief still sees how God’s story of redemption is echoed in the cyclical nature of the world around us, and in the art we have created across the centuries.
Do you feel it? A simple sense of awe.
Oh that we who know this story and do believe may keep this same sense of awe.
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I do, by the way, highly recommend the CD… it sounds like this…
