Messiah

We went to the Messiah Sing-in tonight. We had some close friends over for some edibles and then we ventured up to Abravanel Hall where we encountered upwards of 3,000 other people. All there for the same reason. To sing Messiah, Handel's masterpiece that celebrates the birth and life of Jesus Christ.

We gathered together in the lush surroundings of that great hall with the symphony, chorus, soloists and conductor on the stage. And us in the audience. And we were privileged to sing aloud the selected choruses. Accompanied by members of the Utah Symphony. Conducted by a maestro. We filled the hall with strains of praise and admiration and compassion.

Thank you. Carol Nelson, Colleen Butler, Grayson Hirst, Gerald Dolter, Ed Thompson, the Symphony and the Chorus. You will never remember the person sitting in the middle of the sixteenth row. But I will remember you.

The many talents that conspired to bring us this evening of entertainment are truly exceptional. For them I am grateful.

Yet the overwhelming feeling I had was that this whole evening is so, so civilized. These musicians, singers, conductors, technicians, ushers, audience members all have lives that are full of commitments. Full of other things to do. But for some reason we all got together tonight and sang. Some better than others. Some couldn't sing at all. They only wanted to be part of the experience. But it was civilized.

I get the impression that the body and mind react in very real ways to the influences to which they are subject. To what were we subjected tonight? Well, we sang aloud phrases like: "Glory to God. Glory to God in the highest. And peace on earth. Good will towards men. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed. For unto us a child is born. Unto us a Son is given. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Hallelujah! Hallelujah the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. The kingdom of this world is become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. And He shall reign for ever and ever. Blessing and honor, glory and power be unto Him for ever and ever and ever. Amen."

You cannot sing those words and have your spirit sit idly by. Something moves within you. There is a stirring that is brought on by goodness. Maybe that is what is missing in our world today. Goodness.

But really, why did we go there? We went there not because there was a show. Not because of spouses, friends. Not even because of Handel. We went there because about 2,000 years ago a baby was born whose destiny it was to change the course of the world. Whose very life would be the catalyst for good and evil. We experienced the good. I felt better about my career, my life, my family, my country, my God.

As we embark on this holiday season let's focus on goodness. Let's realize that the spirit of man is almost always a good spirit. One that can be reached and touched and loved.

At the end we sang the Amen Chorus. We applauded. Forever it seemed like. I noticed the soprano soloist wipe tears from her eyes. I felt the power of the human spirit as we all stood there applauding. Smiling. Having forgotten the worries of the day for a little while. A lump rose in my throat when the conductor, after all the bows, held up the work of George Frideric Handel which we had just sung. It received, by far, the loudest and most appreciative ovation of the evening.

Messiah.

What a wonderful word.