I am But the song must be special. And there’s only a handful of songs that do that for me. Songs like “Amazing Grace” and “How Great Thou Art” remain at the top of my list.
Any time I hear these two songs I feel moved to tears. Why? Because there’s something about these two songs that touch a certain place in my being that I can’t quite put into words.
Some would say they are worship songs. Some might disagree. But for me, these two songs speak into a very special place in my being. It’s probably a sacred place like a temple.
And when I begin listening to the melody and lyrics, they start speaking with such powerful unspoken words. Certain pop songs do it for me too.
I grew up loving Pat Boone’s “Love letters In The Sand” and Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World!” And how could I possibly forget Luther Van Dross’s moving melody, “Dance With Me!” Yes, I know.
Sounds like I’m a bit of a romantic. Okay, I confess. I am. Don’t get me wrong. I love hundreds, possibly thousands of great songs. We played so many in our band in the 70’s.
And I still love all of them today. They bring back wonderful memories of a time when we were young, restless rebels. It was the flower power era of the 60’s.
Then Woodstock took us to a whole new level of music appreciation. So many bands and acts blew our mind. Santana, Jimi Hendrix, Sly & The Family Stone, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Richie Havens, Joan Baez and more.
Woodstock wrote a new chapter in the pages of music history. The stuffy conservative shirts of the establishment became their target. Protest songs, like “The Times They Are a Changing” by Bob Dylan, shook the core of a country deeply entrenched in racism and segregation.
But there are only certain songs that hold a very special place in my heart. What’s stranger still though is – I’ve never actually figured out why.
A while back a friend sent a song which got me thinking, ” Why is this song touching me so deeply?” As I watched and listened to the clip, I started tearing up.
Was it the lyrics, was it the melody or was it something else? Thing is, I didn’t even know why this was happening to me. But I enjoyed the moment and felt really uplifted.
The song’s called “Jubilee” written by Naomi Raine and Bryan & Katie Torwalt. In essence it’s a worship song. But something about this song gave me goose bumps.
And I’m still mystified why songs like it can open a floodgate of emotions. I’m curious like the next person. So, I went in search for answers and began doing a little research.
According to Neuroscience experts, there’s a deeper reason why some of us appreciate certain types of music more than others. They say it has something to do with the brain releasing dopamine.
Apparently, Dopamine is a kind of a reward hormone. Some call Dopamine, the “happy hormone” because it promotes feelings of happiness and pleasure.
Don’t know about you – but when I heard the name, Dopamine, my brain went into a bit of a tizz! Sounds almost like a hallucinatory drug! Come to think of it – it’s probably the closest thing to a natural high.
No artificial chemical substances required. So why then do some people lean towards using chemical drug substances when we can get a natural high from listening to great uplifting songs and music?
As we approach Easter, I’m reminded of what we’re celebrating. Yes, celebrating. Mainly because what Jesus came to do has been done. The mission has been successfully accomplished.
But the mission came at a tremendous cost to one person’s life that we will never truly understand. Because we don’t have the wherewithal to really understand all the dynamics of the crucifixion.
We know only in part. And only a small part at that. Because there is a spiritual element to the crucifixion that escapes most, if not all of humanity, including me.
I will not pretend for a moment that I know. Because I don’t. But Jesus’ crucifixion interests me no end. It was the start and the finish of something divinely extraordinary for all of humanity – everyone before Him and after Him.
I know that many see Easter as a deeply moving and solemn occasion. And I get that. It was. If you’ve seen “Passion of the Christ”, the epic Biblical drama, that a team of nearly 500 scholars collaborated on you’ll have some idea where I’m coming from.
It was a heart-wrenching movie with the script taken directly from the Gospel of Luke in the Bible. The movie brings to life a stark reminder of the magnitude of Jesus’ sacrifice and suffering in the 12 hours leading up to His crucifixion.
While some critics focussed on the pain, suffering, hopelessness and hate in the movie saying that it was offensive and appalling, other critics focussed on the historical educational aspects of the film.
Everyone has their opinion. And that’s a good thing. But what they missed was the love sacrifice that Jesus offered as a saving grace for all of mankind. Jesus Christ is the embodiment of love, hope and redemption.
And as we get closer to the another Easter holiday, we should remember that the tomb is empty, the resurrection has happened, Jesus is no longer in the grave.
He has risen. If there’s anything we should be celebrating it is this – that a deeply profound event took place over 2000 years ago. That event has transformed the future of mankind.
His death has left us with a legacy. This legacy has nothing to do with money or material possessions. But it has everything to do with a gift of a passport that each one of us has been given.
It is the gift of a passport for entry into a spiritual Kingdom. There are no strings attached to the gift. You can’t buy it or pay for it. It is free.
Accepting the gift is where some have the problem. Because they mistakenly think that accepting the gift is about agreeing to join a religion. Nothing is further from the truth.
The gift of salvation does not have a religious branding, a title, or a joining fee. Although some might beg to differ. And that’s okay. The gift of salvation does not belong to any religion but to all of humanity.
It is a sacred gift that came at a great cost. This Easter, even if you aren’t a believer, do this one thing. Listen to the song Jubilee. Keep an open heart and an open mind.
Allow the lyrics and the melody to speak to your heart. And see where it takes you, if anywhere at all. And will you please let me know through the LTE column if the song spoke to you?
Thank you and enjoy a joyful and enlightening Easter break with your family. And remember Easter if anything is a celebration. God bless.
• COLIN DEOKI is a regular contributor to this newspaper. The views expressed in this article are his and not necessarily of this newspaper.
