At the beginning of this year I made a bit of a promise that I would try to be a bit less miserable on this blog and focus a bit more on grace and hope. I am not sure whether I followed though on this, certainly the output has been a little sparse. I would hate you to think that this was because grace and hope is in short supply in these parts – far from it. So, this post marks the beginning of a new occasional series.

For Christmas, our kids engineered it so that we now have a Spotify account. Now, please do not take this to be a commercial, after all there are other platforms. I am also conscious that music streaming services have brought sweeping changes into the music industry that have not all been good, particularly for artists, some of whom are struggling to make ends meet. But… I can honestly say that access to such a vast reservoir of music has brought blessing into my life beyond what I ever expected. I keep discovering something else so beautiful that it makes me cry, so I thought I would share some of it with you here.

The criteria to make it into this series is something like this;

1. It has to be beautiful
2. It has to open up something in my soul
3. It has to have brought me at least close to tears. (It does not take much to be fair.)

Today I start with this album;

Like most of us, I first came across Marketa Irglova as an actor in the lovely film ‘Once’  I have heard her singing since as part of Swell Season, and was also familiar with her first album ‘Anar’, which is lovely, full of sumptious harmonies.

Then I started to listen to Muna, (which is Icelandic for ‘Memory’ in case you did not know.)

This song in particular broke me.

God, I’ve been sent here blind to learn to see,
Remembering you were always there with me.
But do you know just how hard that’s been?
Could all of this have really been foreseen?
I’d like to say a prayer, how does it go?
I’m tired. Tell me, God, does it show?
What could have called for such a handicap?
I was sent out here without a map.
All this time I’ve had to guess the way,
To keep moving when I wished to stay.
I’ve been wrong as much as I’ve been right.
You tell me: ‘Walk by faith and not by sight, and
Keep your heavy heart afloat.
You are a timber carved by knife, but
Someday you may serve as a boat.’

What I lose here on earth…
…Is lost in heaven.
If I ask you for help…
…it will be given.
But you’ve waited this long…
…you weren’t ready.
My devotion was strong…
…it wasn’t steady.
I have one more question…
…you have the answer too.
But what does that mean?
You’re I, and I am you.
Why speak in riddles?
Then let me show the way.
That’s all I’ve wanted.
That’s all you’ve had to say.

Well come on then, God, show me,
Which way you would like me to go, and
I won’t resume to question,
How I was ever supposed to know.
There have been signs along the way, but
They’ve been so very obscure.
At times I thought I knew their meaning, but
How could I’ve ever been sure?

God, I was sent here deaf to learn to hear,
To have faith in you and never fear.
Life is an ocean, you its every wave,
Your arms would cradle me, and keep me safe.
You’re right, all this, and more I need to learn,
All this unease just makes my stomach churn.
It was I not you who set this trap, but
You did leave me here without a map.
All this time I’ve had to guess the way,
To keep moving when I wished to stay.
I’ve been right as much as I’ve been wrong, so
All I hear from you is: ‘You are strong enough,
For all you’ll ever have to face,
The only map you need is Love,
To guide you through this illusion of a maze.’

Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
On earth, as it is in heaven,
Give us today our daily bread,
Forgive us, Father, all our sins,
As we forgive those who sin against us, and
Lead us not into temptation, but
Deliver us from evil, for thy is the kingdom, and
The power, and the glory,
Now and forever more,
Amen.