Grace Upon Grace

So, if The Word in the Wind were to yield up a "single" — I'm really stretching it, of course, since this little known CD has had no airplay whatsoever (though I would welcome any news that would prove me wrong on that score) — it would be Grace Upon Grace. Inspired by the Prologue to the Gospel of John, it grapples with understanding the Incarnation, whom we are told is "the light of all people." It also occurred to me that, much as we allow our talk about race and skin color to devolve into "black and white," when it comes to our "God with skin on," he mostly likely had what is sometimes called "olive skin," peculiar to Middle Eastern peoples. The song poses more questions than it answers, not least: How shall we respond to a God from whom we have received grace upon grace?

Here's the text, in the Papyrus font as used on the privately printed the 2001/3 version:

Grace Upon Grace

1. What can you say of all these layers of love

Sinking in to olive skin from spectral space

Radiating a genuine human sharing of grace upon grace?

2. Why do you talk so much and comprehend nothing

As light spills out your eyes and illumines your face?

Every word must bow before this Word in mortal

clothing  …for grace upon grace!

3. How can you begin to sift through mountains of blessings

Then find a fault with Jesus?  Now, state your case!

What do you think you really know of this God

in human dressing … but  grace upon grace?

4. So what can we say of all these layers of love

Sinking in to olive skin from spectral space

Radiating a genuine human sharing of grace upon grace?

                                                                                                           

 New Kensington, PA;  December 21-23, 1999

Tuning:  Standard  (capo on 4th fret)

I really like the naked guitar solo here — don't worry; just an expression —  as well as the understated, but very cool organ in the last go round. Especially when you hear the stuff that's actually on the radio, I'd say this merits airplay, and that's not just my bias talking.