Permission to Court the Joy of Hallelujah!

Deep within each of us is a Hallelujah! It is the recognition we are all one in a glorious song of life playing Itself out in joyful proclamation each day.

No matter what the current reality of our life, within us is a song. Within us is the perception and celebration of beauty. Because within us is Life Itself!

In this holiday season we have the opportunity to consciously court the joy of Hallelujah. Maybe Hallelujahs are found in the eyes of your beloved partner. Maybe those shouts of joy are quiet, subdued but none the less there in your life. Maybe they are in your garden humming around you as the beauty of roses and flowers, with butterfly and other pollinator wings dancing from flower to flower. In the darkest moments of life, we can ponder why the rose is so magnificently beautiful and the picturesque beauty of nature so profound.

The Hallelujahs of life are not necessarily religious devotions, although certainly those are joyful and worthy of mention. 

Simply giving yourself permission to think about the word, “Hallelujah” is an exercise in. ‘Hallelujah’ is comprised of two Hebrew words, “halal” and “Jah” or roughly, shine with or praise and cheer Yahweh. 

Many of us are familiar and have maybe even sung the Hallelujah Chorus by George Frideric Handel. Most holiday seasons my mother’s choir would sing the Hallelujah Chorus as part of their holiday program. I would stand with my Dad in the audience, singing with robust gratitude. I am so grateful for the gift of music my mother brought to my life. 

Such proclamations raise our awareness above the everyday. We can give ourselves permission to praise what is good, to praise what is beautiful. We create a spaciousness within ourselves of joy and wonder. With this conscious effort, we are able to ponder all the graces of the beautiful world in which we live and the wondrous nature of our own existence!

Note from Glenna:

I recognize the reference to the Hallelujah Chorus and its praise of one god, He, could potentially be perceived as a nod to the masculinization of the Divine. You all know how adamant I am personally about the power of words and their effect on our psyches. Some of you may know of my focused use of non-gendered terms for Source. In this context I’m referencing the spirit of praise for Life and the beauty of Life within us particularly during this holiday season.

Reference Links:

• Listen to the chorus: Hallelujah Chorus, from Messiah (Music Video) – Mormon Tabernacle Choir
• Learn about it: The Pure Power Of Handel’s ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ via NPR
• Another way to celebrate Hallelujah: The Ten Tenors – Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen Cover)