The other day I was having a conversation with someone about flashmobs and the first one that came to my mind was the one we do each year at SUNY Brockport, where I teach part time, in March as part of the One Billion Rising movement. While I was searching online for examples of flashmobs to share with my friend, I came across this one, which captured my heart and reminded me to fill my moment with joy.
It has been a while since I have listened to the final of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125. I had forgotten how it fills my heart and soul with joy just to listen to it. There is something about this song, which reminds me of the interconnectedness of all of humanity. We, when we play together, become the uni-verse. This piece of music affirms for me the unity of all of humankind.
The blending of voice and the sound of the instruments creates something greater than itself or at least greater then I can envision it by itself. This piece weaves together so many different forms of music, like the uniqueness of humanity, in a way that creates an unconventional whole, which challenges one to experience the blending of humanity. With each shift, with each introduction, one can experience a joy and freedom that transcend words and verbal expression.
Even watching the people, of all ages, in this video, one can see the transformation as the music moves them and transforms them and enables them to become a part of that which they are hearing. It is no longer them just listening to the music; they become a part of the experience and contribute to the experience. This is what it is like to be in the presence of the Divine; to experience the joy of the Ultimate Consciousness. When we feel this transformation, then we know we are in the presence of something far greater than ourselves. Then we are in the presence of the Holy. We become a part of the new creation story, as we become transformed in the moment, as we are reshaped in the midst of the chaos of daily life. We are blessed, filled, and transformed and in the process experience joy and life anew.
May we take time each day to allow ourselves to remember what it is like to be in the presence of the joy of the Divine.