I am so impressed by new ideas, or new words for old ideas, that sometimes I'm a little prejudiced against good songs that sound like something I've heard before. Sometimes those seemingly mundane songs bear a powerful witness that turns out to be exactly what I needed to hear, and I am grateful that I can change my mind.
Such is the case with Storyside B:'s "Be Still." It bears witness to the simple, but profound truth that God is, and that sometimes He speaks when we listen. I'm grateful for the reminder, since I've recently been led to reflect that the Christian life is a lot about listening.
Here are the lyrics, and below, a theoretical point to ponder.
StorySide:B Lyrics
Be Still Lyrics
The editors of The Beauty of God: Theology and the Arts(2007, Intervarsity) summarize an included essay by Bruce Benson in the following way. "God's call in creation precedes beauty, which therefore takes the character of response. As our response manifests divine beauty, it forwards the divine call to others, who then respond and call. And so forth. As a result, we cannot shrink art down to creativity or making, but must also see ... [as in jazz music] what characterizes art in general: repetition, not just innovation" (Treir, Husbands and Lundin 12). I may not grasp this fully, but one thing I think the authors mean is that there is artistic value in repeating what we've heard or seen before. It is a reference; a call for response. While there may be nothing new under the sun, there is always a new possible response - from a new person, in a new day - and I think sometimes a song calls for that in a way that is spiritually valuable.
Those are my thoughts. :)
1 comment:
That's a very thought-provoking quote. Thinking about it right now...repetition is an important element of poetry, as well as music. Within a song a chorus can bind the verses together. Beyond that, you can look at an allusion to Scripture or another song as a kind of repetition as well. It builds on the past and adds a richness of meaning the song wouldn't have on its own.
I totally agree about the new possible response. Truth doesn't change, but we can respond to it, interact with it and express it so many different ways.
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