The Big Picture #1

(Usually when I'm worried, anxious, depressed, or in some other way "out of it", it's because I've lost sight of the big picture in life; making insignificant things way more important than they should be, and forgetting or trivializing God things. In this column, I'm going to give a glimpse of this "big picture".)

I heard this song a couple weeks ago in my World Music class, and it completely floored me. It is a song from Peru, written in Quechua (a dominant local language). This song is unique, though, in that it is the earliest known polyphony (a musical composition written for many voices to be sung together) from Latin America.

The song itself reads almost like a psalm from the Bible. It was found in the cathedral in Lima, Peru and had been used in worship practices at some earlier time. The lyrics are honest and give glory to God.

Though the style of the composition is very European (which makes sense since the region was invaded and taken over by the Spanish), my professor said that, though the author/composer is unknown, it was very likely written by a native Peruvian rather than a Spaniard. Apparently, the enculturation process was very quick and effective.

This got me thinking. The Spanish came over and crushed the kingdoms they found in Latin America, and in their place, they built their own kingdom. But even through all of that turmoil and cultural destruction, God still built His Kingdom in the midst of that, getting the gospel to new, unreached peoples. And someone got it and wrote this song. And even now that Spain no longer has governmental influence in this country, the gospel continues to flourish.

Here's the song. The church in the video is the cathedral in Lima where this piece was found. (English translation below.)



English Translation:

The bliss of Heaven,
I will worship you a thousandfold,
revered fruit of a mature tree,
long awaited by your people,
protection of spiritual strength,
heed my call.

To escape from the sins of the devil
help me with your strength,
so that I your child,
this orphan of yours,
will have existence and life everlasting.
Bring me fortune.

Increase my store of gold and silver,
being well provisioned, it will be stored up.
There will be great food harvests.
Defend me from famine.
Let me rest well here.
For my salvation.

May there be glory for the Lord
and for his Son likewise
and also for the Holy Ghost;
may there by glory for all eternity;
for the life of all sustenance
may there be delight. Amen.

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(Side Note: I read Exodus 19 & 20 (The Ten Commandments) out loud with this song playing in the background. It gave me chills! *Spirit Fingers*)