Here’s the thing about reverence (we touched on yesterday) that points to Holy which is suffused with Glory. It invites a response. None of this is about passivity. Now, there is certainly quiet reverence. Reserved and respectful. But when awe fully arrives, as is the only natural reaction in the presence of Holy, I can only envision two immediate behaviors. Either we fall flat on our faces or we extend ourselves and shout or sing, Hallelujah! Of course, we can end up doing both.

In Latin it is alleluia. In Greek it is allelouia. In Hebrew it is halleluyah. They all mean the same thing, Praise you, Lord.

I was listening to a song while driving home this morning that included the lyrics, “In this world, you will have trouble.” But, a moment later, we hear, “We will sing Allelujah!”

Let’s be honest. This just does not make sense. Imagine: The stock market crashes and we lose a significant portion of our savings. Praise you, Lord! Or, the cancer diagnoses confirms our worst fears. Praise you, Lord! One of my favorite songs is a piece by Twila Paris where she sings, “thank you for this thorn.”

I know this is one reason Christians are perceived so negatively. They/we are set up as having drunk the Kool-Aid, which is a reference to the 900 cult followers of Jim Jones who blindly went to their deaths in 1978 at his bidding. In this sense, the Kool-Aid represents the blinding to reality whereby we follow an absurdity. I can understand the connection. They’re right, it just doesn’t make sense.

Then again, Christianity is like this. It doesn’t make sense until it does.

What gives?

When there is no Holy in our frame of reference, there can be no hallelujah. And Holy transcends the ebb and flow of daily life. It transcends the joys and sorrows, the successes and failures that everyone experiences.

This is not possible as a normal thing. I’ll try to explain.

There is this saying: “Deep calling to Deep.” It’s worth considering. I had not heard of this saying until it happened to me. After which, at some point, I heard the saying and I knew that this was what it was.

I mentioned it in an earlier post and won’t go back into great detail. But, suffice to say that when it happened, I was being given a glimpse of heaven … not for the first time. It was unbidden and unexpected. It happened suddenly. I was not in prayer or some sort of meditative state. I was fully awake. I was filled with such joy that my heart almost burst. It was actually painful but not unpleasant. I realized that something deep inside me was reaching out to God and that the thing inside me was the piece of me that wasn’t me. (Psychologists, go have your field day.) Simultaneously, I did not think it possible for me to stand it while also desperately not wanting it to end. It may have lasted a minute or so but it reverberates with me to this day.

This was a communion with Holy, a gift that showed me I’m part of something much greater than can be humanly imagined. It is within this intersection that we can begin to explain Hallelujah, whether in joy or sorrow.

It is easy and very common to praise when things go well. We do it all of the time. We praise our spouses, our children, our friends and colleagues. We praise political leaders we like when they do something we like. Praise, of course, is an expression of approval, of admiration, of gratitude. It’s ridiculous to think that we’d praise someone when they completely mess up. Oh, we might praise them again at some point, but we lead with admonishment and with criticism, constructive or otherwise.

Hallelujah, however, is an altogether different animal. The praise is not about a thing or an occurrence. Instead, it is an acknowledgement. In fact, it’s the only appropriate acknowledgment to the one most deserving. Essentially, it has nothing to do with an outcome. It is an expression of worship, of adoration and devotion. Think about it. Adoration and devotion. Love and surrender. Yes?

When we are consumed with love and surrender and I mean fully consumed, then the value of other things falls away. This is what Holy does. To put a fine point on it, those things do not fall away but their relative value does. Nothing can stand up and shine a light more brightly than that which is Holy, suffused with Glory. Nothing. And, that’s a really good thing!

This is the state of reality that allows for praise in the midst of suffering. It takes some getting used to, believe me. We are of the flesh and the flesh is weak. Even the apostle Paul pled for a thorn to be taken from him as he continued to praise.

I have spoken before of my love for the magnificent work of George Friedrich Handel with his Messiah. He was surely anointed when he wrote it and I pray the entire almost three hour choral/orchestral piece each Christmas season. With my headphones on and words in front of me as I sit alone in our study, I am transfixed by the beauty and truths of that unique work of art. I cannot finish it without tears, nor without raising my hands as a way of opening myself up to the glory of God, recognizing and honoring who he really is. The most famous segment is the piece that comes about 4/5 the way through and is commonly referred to as the “Hallelujah Chorus.” When played publicly, upon the very first notes, the entire audience stands. It is impossible to know how each person in attendance is doing in his or her relationship with God. It is impossible to know just how those words and music resonate in the hearts and minds of the listeners. But, for a moment, they all rise in an act of reverence, honoring God in a most visible way. The Hallelujah Chorus is the 44^th of 53 separate pieces to the entire work. I love this piece but it is not my favorite. There are three others that equal or surpass it. To me, the greatest is the 53^rd and last. It is taken from the last book of the Bible. From Revelations 5:12-13. I can clearly hear the music as I include the words of the chorus here.

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, and hath redeemed us to God by his blood, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory and blessing. Blessing, and honor, glory and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. Amen.

To live within that space is to live within Hallelujah. And, to live within Hallelujah is the greatest gift of all.

It is for this singular reason we exist.

I know this may not make any sense and I know that the kind people will say, “Oh well, that’s nice for him.” The unkind will scoff and blatantly dismiss. There are times when it’s natural for the opinions of others to hold weight and there are times when the opinions of others should not matter. Surrendering to Hallelujah is not easy, nor is it natural in a world that points in entirely different directions. Ironically, however, Hallelujah is the most natural thing of all. We’ve just forgotten. I suggest it’s time we wake up. 🙂 Blessings, Brad