This week in chapel we had the honour of hosting Dr. Stephen Garber, the director of Washington Institute to the auditorium. He spoke to us on the topic of Transcendence, Truth, and Translation. He played a clip of ‘Sigh No More’ by Mumford and Sons, which is a great song by the way. Truthfully, I can’t remember too much of what he said about these topics, probably should have wrote some notes. I know he also went on to play a clip of ‘You Found Me’ by The Fray. He talked about how he had lunch with Isaac Slade, the lead singer of the Fray. Dr. Garber told him this: To write a song that tells the truest of truths, but in a language that everyone can understand. This quote really struck me, in a world where truth is claimed as relevant, we are called to tell the ‘truest of truths’. Dr. Garber told another story; on an airplane ride, he was sitting beside a man, his name was Bill, I think. Bill was an attorney. Throughout this entire plane ride Bill talked to Dr. Garber, every now and then giving a reply. Bill talked about going to this resort he gets to go to because one of his clients is a gambler; he continues to talk about how the women are going to be great. He explains he practiced evolutionary-materialism. After a lot of talking, Dr. Garber asked him one question, “Are you happy?”. With this one question, Bill’s life was laid bare in front of him; he said simply “No, it never has been, I’ve always wanted to find a great woman who will love me.”
Back to the quote about song-writing; this struck me because, I’m a musician.(I think, maybe there is more to it). What this means is taking the truths that God has set out for us, and putting these complex, theological ideas, into song. Into words that everyone understands, probably one of the most difficult things to do, take God-breathed words and truth, and convey it to everyone. My dorm’s devotions this evening, coincidentally, was about music. My dorm mate Colten breached on the topic of Christian artists in music, how they make music to share the word of God. It could have not worked out more perfectly. So once more, the quote “Write a song that tells the truest of truths, but in a language that everyone can understand.”
Posts
