It's that time of the year again, the joyful season when Jeff, my iTunes DJ, starts spinning holiday music when I choose "random" from the play options on my keyboard.
I almost always have headphones on with music playing as I work each day, and the surprise of what Jeff, as I call him, comes up with — especially when he reaches into the way-back machine for sonic fodder — is a daily delight.
First thing this morning, Jeff decided to play the tune "Miracle" by Ashville, N.C., singer-songwriter David Wilcox.
Oh joy! It's long been one of my favorite unconventional Christmas songs but I'd forgotten about its many charms until I was taking my first sip of coffee today.
The song, which appears on David's 2006 album Vista, is a take on the Natvity story seen through David's remarkably creative, often childlike sensibilities. Here's a taste of the lyrics:
Few will chose to follow
Out of all the star invites
Most will hide safe inside
With the lantern turned up bright
Waiting for a miracle
The journey was a long one
So the story's told
These three guys
Walking side by side
With their incense and gold
People all along the highway
They just shook their heads
They looked hard at that distant star
And went back to bed
'Cause they were
Waiting for a miracle
I dug out a clip of David performing the song a few years back and, as he often does, sharing a spiritual story from his own life as an introduction.
Here, for your enjoyment and edification, is "Miracle." [Please excuse the annoying widget that appears on the middle of the screen. Trust me, it's worth overlooking it.]
And speaking of miracles, here's another video of David taken from the "Naked Soul Series" at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City. In this monologue, David talks about religion in its truest sense and so-called "minor" cellular miracles. Think of it as your coffee-and-sermon du jour.
Take a big sip and savor the flavor.
Cathleen Falsani is Web Editor and Director of New Media for Sojourners. She is the author of several books, including The Dude Abides: The Gospel According to the Coen Brothers and her new release, BELIEBER!: Fame, Faith and the Heart of Justin Bieber. Follow Cathleen on Twitter @godgrrl.
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