I confess that last week was a bad one for decency, generosity and lovingkindness here in the United States. And I personally have been fighting with the pain axis of evil (hip, IT band and knee) that has not improved my forbearance (always in limited supply). So I’ve turned to Nature for my gratitude today—specifically for the sunset I encountered as I was on my way to Thanksgiving dinner..
This made me think of the old standard by our man in
Wittenburg, Martin Luther, “Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her”, known in
English as “From Heav’n Above”.
The text declares the descent of God, in the birth of Jesus, from heaven to earth. It’s quite stately, but also inclusive—the proclamation of grace invites all humanity to share. Luther repeats this many times; I mean—again and again. The kingdom of God is open to all.
Luther’s original melody has been embellished some by
different composers, but for ornamentation and complexity similar to how God gilds
the sky, you can’t do better than J.S. Bach.
Here’s the UniversitätsChor München performing it.
©2025 Bas Bleu
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