Letter from the Blog Editor: A Reflection on Song Rec September
Credit: Michelle Liu
Dear Reader,
The profound words of philosopher Simone Weil, "Everything beautiful has a mark of eternity," inspired me to introduce Song Rec September to the Claritas blog. She’s taught me that God’s divine presence isn't exclusively confined to churches and Bible studies; He permeates every corner of our world.
Therefore, with Song Rec September, I aimed to achieve the following:
To emphasize that Christians also enjoy "secular" music.
To showcase the diverse music tastes of the Claritas executive board.
To illustrate that God's beautiful truths can be discovered in 90s Hip Hop, contemporary folk music, and even K-pop.
In retrospect, I'm thrilled to say that Song Rec September has far exceeded my wildest expectations, all thanks to the outstanding contributions by the Claritas Executive Board. The first song recommendation I'd like to personally highlight is written by our Business Manager, Jason Lan. Jason beautifully offers us a glimpse of his emotional 'first embrace' with God using "City of Stars" from the critically acclaimed La La Land. Likewise, the one and only Aninna Bradley does an excellent job of providing valuable insights into God's mercy for His beloved children through the profound lyrics of "Second Chances" by Gregory Alan Isakov. Together, these selections show that God’s overwhelming love continues to penetrate the world today, especially through our music.
To conclude, I'd like to leave you, regardless of your faith, with this final thought: Given that God's mark of eternity can be found in virtually every genre of music, it follows that the same mark can also be found in every individual. This notion is supported by the Christian belief that God has graciously blessed all people, including Cornellians, with His divine image [Genesis 1:27].
To put it plainly, you are beautiful; you are loved.
In Christ,
Matt Pang
Blog Editor, Claritas | Cornell University
Bonus Song Recommendation: “Sun, I Rise” by McKinley Dixon (feat. Angélica Garcia)