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Dear Passing the Peace Readers, 

I became curious about the latest album release “Wild God” by Nick Cave when I heard his interview on a favourite podcast of mine, On Being. Grieving the loss of two sons, Cave weaves together religion, grief, and the human condition as he reflects on his music: 

And in that respect, I don’t think the common thread that runs through humanity is greed or power or these sorts of notions. It is this binding agent of loss. That, to me, is the thing that makes me able to look at anybody and feel connected to them, regardless of who they are. And I think there’s a power in that that isn’t really recognized.

You can listen to the full interview here:  Nick Cave — Loss, Yearning, Transcendence | The On Being Project 

The chord struck by Nick Cave’s music seems to have also resonated with writer Julie McGonegal at Broadview Magazine who wrote this article in their latest issue. Sharing her own grief journey as a parent, she writes, Cave’s music has “forged a crack where the light gets in.” 

Grieving is hard work, but I hope that this note can remind you that you don't have to do it alone. There are so many artists and musicians sharing roadmaps of their own journeys. There is an everpresent always Loving God who knows your sorrow. There are your siblings in Christ who know of their own sorrow and can be witnesses to yours. 

May the Peace of Christ be with you, through this invitation to stop and find a moment to stop and listen and be present to the power of music. 

May the Peace of Christ be with you, as artists find ways to do the sacred work of tending to grief and invite us to join them. 

 

Take a listen to the title track here: 

Yours in Christ, 

Rev Michiko

 

Photo by Brian Duggan, Near & Far Imaging (with permission)