Creating

We sing Haydn's Creation this week. Until last night - I hadn't really connected with the piece yet. I have done it several times before and know it quite well. Does familiarity breed hasty contempt?
And yet, last night, I felt what Haydn felt -must have felt - when he composed the piece. I had chills on, "the wonder of his work displays the firmament". I wanted to shout, 'YES it does!' I'm with my conductor. I own the full box set to Planet Earth. The power of the series is displayed when you pop it into the video projector and a classroom of hardened, jaded, world-savvy, tough 10th graders just burst into spontaneous clapping! Wow, Planet Earth - awesome Miss E!
I am not sure what I believe about Creation. Gasp, my fundamentalist friends go. . . oh well, I'm sorry. For a long time now I pretty much have believed that it is irrelevant. It neither undermines my faith nor enhances it to believe one way or the other. Suppose God said, "Let there be life!" and . . . took his time about it? Hmm? Or suppose God said, "Hey, let's really mess with their heads. . watch this. . instant life - Carbon 14 manipulation! Boy are they going to be surprised when they all get to heaven and I show them the video!" Does it matter?
I serve an awesome God who made light from non-light. I am not particularly interested in how He did it. But it is amazing.
Haydn must have felt that in some way. I have a feeling all great artists are tuned into the Artist of the Universe in some way - they'd have to be. I think we musicians are closer than most though - after all, the morning stars sang together, people are singing around the throne of God - it's the only art that we will take with us to the next life! Gives me hope.