Any self-respecting fan of the听笔别补苍耻迟蝉听comic strip will know what鈥檚 coming up in a few weeks. December 16 is Beethoven鈥檚 birthday, the event marked each year by Schroeder, the maestro who somehow overcame the fact that the black keys on his toy piano were only painted on. This year happens to be the 250th听anniversary of Ludwig鈥檚 birth, and it comes at a very poignant time in our history.
Beethoven, as you probably know, started losing his hearing in his 20s and was totally deaf by his 40s. In a recent interview, Marin Alsop, the musical director of the Baltimore Symphony, noted that Beethoven鈥檚 deafness drove him into a state of isolation, much as we鈥檙e going through today, thanks to COVID.听
But while she describes Beethoven鈥檚 music as a cry from that isolation (ironically, the interview preceded a performance of his first piano concerto, written听产别蹿辞谤别听his hearing started to go), out of that isolation came some of his greatest works. His last five piano sonatas and string quartets, his ninth symphony (the 鈥淐horal Symphony鈥�), and the听Missa solemnis,听among others,听were听all composed after he had gone totally deaf.
That 鈥減laintive cry鈥� has brought beauty that resonates through the centuries. You could argue that the deeper Beethoven鈥檚 isolation became, the more creative and poignant his art became. Maybe there鈥檚 an example here for us.
I know that鈥檚 easy to say. We can鈥檛 minimize the fact that people are suffering, dying, depressed, all due to COVID. It doesn鈥檛 help that we are bombarded, daily, with reminders of how bad things are: news reports carry statistics on new cases and deaths; there is confusion as experts speculate when a 鈥渟econd wave鈥� will hit, when there will be a 鈥渢hird wave鈥�, or even if we鈥檙e out of the 鈥渇irst wave鈥�. There are also sidebar stories about the probable impact of winter and flu season; the psychological effect of longer periods of darkness; and for good measure, let鈥檚 throw in some stories about depression due to isolation and domestic strife because of prolonged, close contact.
鈥淭he world鈥� has not provided much encouragement. Where else can we turn?
That鈥檚 where faith 鈥� and Beethoven 鈥� come in.
In the Bible, Isaiah prophesies that the Spirit of the Lord is on the Messiah, to 鈥済ive (those who mourn) beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, (and) the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.鈥� (Isaiah 61:1-3). Centuries later, Jesus declares that He is the fulfillment of that prophecy. This could be something to bear in mind 鈥� that in the ashes we can find beauty, if we look for it. In the isolation and other restrictions on our physical freedom we can find ways to re-assess what鈥檚 important. We could build on existing gifts 鈥� as Beethoven did, 鈥渉earing鈥� his great works in his mind and rendering them on paper 鈥� or discovering things about ourselves that we never knew.
Yes, it takes work on our part, and a particular effort to do so in the face of the blitz of despair that surrounds us. But it鈥檚 worth it, because when we take that beauty and joy and pass it on to others, like the mustard seed Jesus talks about, even the tiniest grain can turn into the biggest plant in the garden. Joy, especially in the face of depression and despair, is just as infectious as any virus.听
Hmm. I think I鈥檒l put on a record: Beethoven鈥檚 Ninth Symphony 鈥� written when he was totally deaf 鈥� and which closes with the finale, 鈥淥de to Joy鈥�.
Drew Snider听is a former pastor at Gospel Mission on Vancouver's Downtown East Side, and has been a guest speaker at churches in BC. He writes about the people and events in his e-book, 鈥楪od At Work: A Testimony of Prophecy, Provision and People Amid Poverty鈥�. (available at online bookstores)
You can read more articles on our interfaith blog, Spiritually Speaking, HERE
* This article was published in the pring edition of the sa国际传媒 on Saturday, October 31st. 2020
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