Last week, Steven Curtis Chapman released his much anticipated album, "Beauty Will Rise." Written after the tragic death of his young daughter, Maria (pictured above,) this album is immensely personal in nature. I have a great love and respect for the Chapman family (because they love China and orphans, too) but to be completely honest, I've never been a huge fan of SCC's music. It tends to be a little too far on the cheesy side of "Christian music" for my taste, but I have many friends that love his music. I heard many positive reviews of this new album, so I decided to give it a try. My first listen-through was in the car and it quickly became a driving hazard. Almost every single song made me cry (weep might actually be more accurate.) Musically, the album is primarily acoustic (guitar, piano, various strings.) The simplicity of the musical arrangements preserves the "raw" and personal nature of the lyrics. I read one review that compared the writing style of the album to the psalms and I readily agree with this assessment. This album is clearly the evidence of a believer working through intense grief and pain (think King David.)
Each song addresses different aspects of his grieving process--pain & tears, waiting on God, the hope of seeing Maria again in Heaven, healing within their family and trusting that God will bring beauty out of this tragedy. I have yet to listen to the song "February 20th" without crying. It's a beautiful retelling of the day that Maria asked Jesus to live in her heart and take her to his "big, big house with a lot of rooms." In another favorite of mine, "Heaven is the Face," he looks forward to a place without cancer, hunger, orphans or enemies--our Heavenly home that his daughter has already gone to.
This album is beautiful and a testament to the amazing faith of the Chapman family. Despite such a life-changing tragedy, they have placed their hearts in the care of their Heavenly Father. This album has set my mind on heavenly things and strengthened my trust that God's plans for my life are better than my own.
Posts
Post a Comment