Sheer Gratitude

The maestro strides onto the stage to the applause of the thousands seated in the concert hall. The orchestra members stand to their feet (except the cellos) and at the sweep of his arm and begin to play the rousing melody of our national anthem. It is the opening night of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concert season.

From where I am seated at the top of the second balcony I join the audience as they surge to their feet in response. The voices of thousands spontaneously join the instruments and the hall reverberates with the resounding chorus. My voice blends into the cascading sound of voices - so many ethnicities who have found America to be the "land of the free, and the home of the brave."

The air is tangibly charged with an electric excitement as the last chord fades into the stillness. And so the stage is set for an exquisite concert of the Russian composers Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff.

My heart attempts to picture the arcs of heaven resounding with the voices of those who finally reach our homeland. The powerful beauty of heavenly music is incomprehensible - if human minds could write such stirring works of art - who can imagine the angelic orchestra and choir? A feeling far deeper then idealistic patriotism will race through our being. The tender soul-thrilling melodies will envelop us into the essence of the song.

I try to imagine my voice blending into the soaring wings of that music. So many ethnicities who have found Heaven to be the land of the free.

Sheer gratitude.

I do not deserve to hear such glorious sound, let alone be one of the singers, but the Maestro has composed notes for me to sing.

So I shall sing them.

"I looked again. I saw a huge crowd, too huge to count. Everyone was there - all nations and tribes, all races and languages. And they were standing, dressed in white robes and waving palm branches , standing before the throne of the Lamb and heartily singing: Salvation to our God on His Throne!
Salvation to the Lamb!"

Revelation 7:9, 10 ~ The Message