BLOGGING TOWARD SUNDAY…

Kurt Vonnegut, as many of you will remember from high school literature classes, was one of America’s most outstanding authors. During World War II, he was captured by the Germans after he and five other scouts had wandered behind enemy lines. He was imprisoned in the city of Dresden, which, while he was imprisoned there, was subjected to relentless firebombing…the dropping of hundreds of incendiary bombs whose purpose was to create a massive firestorm that would envelop the entire city.

Vonnegut and his friends survived, because the prison in which they had been placed was underground; in fact, it was a converted slaughterhouse facility the Germans had commandeered to use as a temporary place to keep Allied prisoners. The Germans called the building Schlachthof Fünf , which translates “Slaughterhouse Five,” which became the title of Vonnegut’s most famous book. After the firebombing, the prisoners were forced to help clean up the unbelievable carnage left behind. The Germans had the prisoners digging into basements and shelters in order to recover bodies, but, according to Vonnegut, there were too many to bury, so the bodies were set afire with flamethrowers. That experience became the basis for his book.

Through most of his life, he was known as a humanist, and was, at one time, Honorary President of The American Humanist Association. The interesting thing, however, is that Vonnegut referred to himself as “an unbelieving believer,” and said that the most important words ever spoken by an human being are “blessed are the meek.”

Shortly before his death, he said: “If I should ever die…let this be my epitaph: “The only proof he needed for the existence of God was music.”

I thought about this epitaph after last Sunday evening’s Choirfest here at our church. The music provided by the churches involved was just excellent, and we were all moved in profound ways. Music is to me one of God’s greatest gifts to us, one which uniquely has the power to help us sense the presence and power of God. Spend some time today listening to some good music, and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

Filed under: Blogging Toward Sunday