Blind with Joy

They call them the blind – but they could see Jesus more clearly than most – certainly more clearly than I could after a traffic snarled journey to see them. The place to learn godly patience is definitely on an L.A. freeway when 10 lanes of traffic are stationary! However the place to learn godly joy is at the feet of old blind men who sing about Jesus!

The place was the Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown L.A. The event was The Blind Boys of Alabama Christmas Concert. We expected the play list to be full of the usual selection of Christmas music we’d normally here in a secular nation in a concert; and have heard non-stop coming from Disney. But no! These men loved Jesus. And Christmas songs for them meant singing about Jesus coming in the same way they always did – with gusto, with evangelistic fervour and with sincerity to glorify our saviour with every breath.

The concert lived up to everything we’d hoped and more. Yes they really are blind and yes they really are a bunch of old men, but man can they sing and entertain! Beautiful harmonies, astounding vocal range, soaring notes and striking melodies kept us all on the edge of our seats. For a group of very old men they were interactive, funny, and moving, they had us on our feet, they had us clapping, they had us laughing and close to weeping. They are indeed blind to the architectural magnificence of the Concert Hall architecture, but like when Jesus opened the eyes of the blind man in John 9, they had no trouble seeing Him and staking their joy on the salvation he brings to all who stake their hope in his saving love.

If at 90 I can express my shameless delight in and devotion to the glory of Christ, at 1/100th of the level these men manage, I will have served my master well. It is old men, the Blind Boys of Alabama who are leading the way.