Another favorite prayer:

joyful, joyful, we adore thee
god of glory, lord of love
hearts unfold like flowers before thee
opening to the sun above
melt the clouds of sin and sadness
drive the dark of doubt away
giver of immortal gladness
lead us to the light of day

all thy works with joy surround thee
earth and heaven reflect thy rays
stars and angels sing around thee
center of unbroken praise
field and forest, vale and mountain
flowery meadow, crashing sea
chanting bird and flowing fountain
call us to rejoice in thee

ever giving and forgiving,
ever blessing, ever blest
wellspring of the joy of living
ocean depth of happy rest
thou our father, Christ our brother
all who live in love are thine
teach us how to love each other
lead us to the joy divine

I know, it's really a religious/Christian song, but I can't help but feel like this song transcends that. It feels almost like a true and universal hymn disguised as something Christian. Not that I think everything Christian is false, but some people hear the words 'god' and 'christ' and automatically turn a deaf ear to the words around it. I mean, I know people for whom it's a paranoia, and I think that's sad. They are just as closed as religious people who won't listen to secular views.

But anyway, there is something about the tune and the words of this song that is truly holy, that inspires something wonderful in me. It is a masterwork. I have had experiences of divine bliss, and this song's sound comes straight from that, without a doubt. It expresses it precisely and profoundly, without dilution or pretention. Thinking about it now, my respect for Beethoven has quadrupled. Any creative artist who tries knows how difficult it is to evoke one pure moment, to transfer one true feeling from the heart of one person to another.

It manages to express the yearning for beauty and purity that in itself is an act of beauty and purity; that in seeking good, one is good; that in reaching for the divine, you find that it has always been there.

There are moments when I find myself singing this song, unbidden. Tonight it was as I was finishing washing the dishes. This is one of those songs that is always simpler and more beautiful in my head than any rendition I've found or heard. I hear it not quite my voice, not quite anyone else's; not just melody, but nothing more than that. This tends to be the case with the church or christmas songs that I love. The recordings I hear are always, always made with too much pomp, as though the song weren't enough. Some songs are perfect. This song is perfect, and that's enough.

3:06 a.m. 2003-12-29�