Hymns of the First Century

Last weekend we went to the beach for a retreat. The weather was perfect, somewhere around 85 and sunny. While the sounds of the ocean and the sunshine were certainly highlights, my favorite part of the weekend was a private concert we arranged with a Lebanese/N. African singer named Anas.

He sang for about twelve of us in the hotel bar, for around a half hour, in order to raise funds for a coming trip to Paris. The bar was reminiscent of how Rusty's used to be in south Toledo. The upholsteries in deep reds, with cigarette smoke soaked into the tables and chairs. Very intimate.

I would label Anas as a musical genius. His musical education includes moving to Damascus and Jerusalem in order to study and memorize the most antique Christian hymns known to man. Basically the concert went something like this:

Anas: "You want me to sing another song?"
Crowd: "Yes."
Anas: "Which century would you like me to sing from?"
Crowd: "As you like."
Anas: "Okay this is from the first century" or "This is from the 4th century" or "this is from the 11th century"

Did I mention he sang in ancient Arabic, Greek, and also Aramaic. He sings like an angel, and also plays the tambourine while he sings. By play I mean he makes the tambourine seem like it is a full drum set. My favorite song was about Good Friday, that really picks up at the end as it describes the resurrection. It was crazy to hear songs that may have been sung by the earliest followers. Anas made the greatest story ever told all the more real to me.

salaam alikum