Today was not the first date chosen for this concert; we landed on it when our first choosing didn’t work out. But all things work together for good.
At the time, I didn’t process how significantly today, June 8th, from a lectionary standpoint, fits with the overarching theme and message of tonight’s music.
The Anglican lectionary calendar has a three-year cycle of readings. This past Sunday, June 4th, was the first Sunday after Pentecost. Pentecost is the longest season of the church year, and for that reason is also known as Ordinary Time: a time of in between. And the readings appointed were all about the beginning and end and all the time that falls in the middle.
The Old Testament was from Genesis –the very first verse of the very first chapter:
In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
Note that God does not command – God invites, encourages light to become light.
The end times were alluded to in the Gospel of Matthew when Jesus comforts his disciples with these words: And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
What is the end of the age? The end of time? These days, according to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, the end of the world is a mere 90 seconds away. It being the 30th second of the 58th minute of the 23rd hour of an allegorical day. For Messiaen, it might have seemed it was the time in which he was living as a prisoner of war some 80 years ago turning to the Book of Revelation for inspiration, perhaps also for solace.
How are we to be in this ordinary time, possibly so so close to the end? This answer came from the Epistle reading - from Peter’s letter to the Corinthians. He says:
Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, agree with one another, live in peace. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
Not bad advice. Each day we live is a lifetime: the morning breaks as on the first day of Eden, we live and work, interact and be until night. We sleep not knowing if we will wake up to the morrow.
So, in these last days at the end of time, be kind. Seek agreement. Live in peace. See the holy in one another.
If we are to be granted tomorrow, trust that God will be saying: Let there be light. Tonight, we say: Let there be music.