How does one describe something he’s never seen with the naked eye? Or, how would you paint a picture of an invisible person? Chris Tomlin doesn’t try to make it too complicated for us with his song “How Great Is Our God”, his way of answering someone who says ‘what’s God look like?’. What he says about this song’s development suggests that just maybe that’s the way God wants it. Just celebrate Him, and that’s enough. Almost sounds too easy, and that was kinda how Tomlin thought about it too, at first.
Tomlin recalls that the song’s development began with the chorus section ‘how great is our God…’ , and that that’s all he was able to come up with initially. He says he almost felt regret when he said to Him in effect ‘...this is all I have Lord, there’s no other words I can summon in the English language to describe how great you are.’ Evidently, Tomlin then offered some other words to go with the chorus, but he says the refrain became the focus of the song, after he took to heart some comments by friends. As a result, he says the song’s spotlight shone more brightly on the Holy One’s nature, versus what it was originally when Tomlin focused more on what we as Christians get from Him. Light, majesty, a creature that’s both lion and lamb, and a three-in-one concept none of us can honestly fathom…those are mysterious words that Tomlin uses to try to capture God’s visage. Think of a brilliant light hidden in a cloud (see the picture). Still, the song’s simple yet potent declaration of God’s supremacy is the overriding message.
Maybe that’s all the Lord wanted Chris Tomlin to think and sing about, nothing else but God. And, maybe that’s the secret of its success, why it was a number one hit song in 2006 and in 2008. Could that be why we don’t know more about Tomlin’s motivation for this tune – because why he thinks God is great doesn’t really matter? And, why I think He’s great doesn’t add or subtract from Him, either. Sure, I have Jesus to show people God, and His creation says volumes about Him too. And, my story of devotion to Him might resonate with a neighbor, or maybe a coworker. But, ultimately, if I position myself properly next to Him – on my knees, or prostrate before Him – then all the flowery phrases I could use to describe Him leave me. How great is God? He’s in a category all by Himself. He just IS.
Chris Tomlin’s brief comments on the song: http://christian-vids.blogspot.com/2007/06/chris-tomlin-how-great-is-our-god.html
(Chris Tomlin’s biography)
(song’s history)
No comments:
Post a Comment