Wrestling with the Resurrection

When I was a teenager a very good friend of mine introduced me to Gustav Mahler’s 5^th Symphony. I was immediately taken with it. It was big and bold and full of brass instruments but then I found its meaning and my love for Mahler’s music began. His music is moody, emotional and sometimes dark as he tries to portray the truth of human experience but in that darkness he’s always bringing us to hope. I wish my friend that introduced me to Mahler could have found that hope in the darkness he was soon overcome by. Perhaps one of the reasons I am so drawn to Mahler is because every time I hear his music I think of my friend, Andy, and I think of my son, Hudson, and I am moved to find hope in a world so filled with hopelessness.

As much as I love Mahler’s 5^th let me say that at Easter you need to listen to Mahler’s 2^nd Symphony. It is widely known as ‘Resurrection’. As this masterpiece comes to its splendid cresendo I, with my hard heart, am brought to tears (and not for the first time). I don’t know if I’ll see Mahler in heaven but as the music soars and I hear these lyrics I am reminded what Christ has accomplished and my heart is filled with the joyful hope of eternal life. 

O Sorrow, all penetrating!

I have been wrested away from you!

O death, all conquering!

Now you are conquered!

What makes Mahler’s 2^nd so powerful for me? In his music he wrestles with life and death like we all do and I am reminded that the Gospel is good news in a hard world. That living by faith isn’t easy and it doesn’t isolate me from pain but rather sustains me through it to bring me home to my Heavenly Father. And so in the season of Easter I am reminded that we exist in a world of confusion, suffering and death's encompassing, overwhelming pursuit yet we have a glorious hope that not only promises eternal life to come but lifts us up above the turmoil of this earthly life.

 He is risen!

 BPM