Most of you know we will be moving in a few weeks to serve Christ in Jacksonville, Alabama with a new church family. What you may not know is that marching band is big part of who I am (being first chair trombone at Grissom High School shaped me in powerful ways). So I have always known the JSU Marching Southerners.
I ran across this brief, socially distanced rendition of “Salvation is Created” by Tschesnokoff by the JSU band. It brought tears to my eyes, not only because of memories of playing it at Grissom, but because I am touched that they would go to the trouble in honor of the JSU staff and administration during these pandemic times.
The piece is powerful (and perfect for this). It was the last religious work the composer wrote before the communist party in Russia required him to write only secular music. As if boldly answering this suppression, the words are simple. The translation is “Salvation is created, in the midst of the earth, O God.”
I’m inspired. God is saving us in the midst of this earthly crisis. Do what you can to keep the spirit alive. Follow requested protocols with a good attitude for the sake of others. Maintain a zest for life, hold on and trust God, and be a good neighbor. Don’t give in to negativity. No matter what the earth faces, salvation is created. Amen and amen.
