There is a place in the world of Facebook
that was created as a refuge where people could come together to share, and
benefit from, the gift of song.
Last
fall, Jewish singer/songwriters Beth Schafer and Stacy Beyer laid the
groundwork for “Harmony in Unison,” a “virtual stage” on Facebook, where
musicians have been performing original music since January on Sunday-Thursday
each week.
In her book Einstein and the Rabbi, Rabbi Naomi Levy quoted a teaching of the
rabbis that noted that “there are ten levels of prayer, and above them is
song.” Music has the potential to enable our spirits to soar.
On Monday, October 23, I offered my third
performance on the Harmony in Unison Virtual Stage. I titled my set “Conversations with God,”
which gave me an opportunity to perform some of my original songs based on
texts from the book of Psalms.
The biblical book of Psalms brings
together ancient songs and prayers that have had a lasting appeal because they speak
to our joys, our love, our grief, and the challenges which we face every
day. Psalms declare that, even when
everything may seem hopeless, there are still reasons to be optimistic and to
trust that good things will come our way.
The first song I chose for my set, based on
Psalm 139, begins, “You know me, inside and out, through and through.” When a friend of mine, who wasn’t sure about
her belief in God, once asked me about how to approach the book of Psalms, I
cited this song (called “Where Can I Run?”) and Psalm. I explained that it is the people who know us
“inside and out, through and through” who have an uncanny ability to point us
in right direction just when we need crucial counsel and guidance. I believe
that there is a depth of spirit in our closest relationships, in which some
people might see a touch of a divine presence.
Psalm 34 includes a declaration, “Taste and
see that God is good.” That line suggests
a way that we might approach life in general.
We try to strike a balance between our best times and our difficult
days, hoping that it is the good that will endure. The chorus for the song I
created based on that Psalm asks and proclaims: “Is there love enough for
giving? Is there goodness enough to fill
our days? When I taste and see that
life’s worth living, I will sing this song of praise.” The praise is an expression of the trust we
have that our own lives do have inherent value because of all that we do and because
of the people who are our companions along our journey.
Psalm 97 proclaims, “Light is sown for the
righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.” What struck me about that statement is that it
suggests that light -- perhaps in the form of understanding, wisdom, and mutual
respect--is a response to our acts of righteousness and justice. Creating a society based on justice and righteousness
could lead us to the “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” that we so
deeply desire in American society.
Across many musical genres,
singer/songwriters give voice to feelings, concerns and hopes that many people
share. May we be open to those harmonious
expressions that can touch our souls and could, ultimately, unite us as
one.
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