By Kattil Abraham
Amidst all the socio-political noises outside we have slowly moved into that time of the year where our ears ring with the sound of jingle bells, and our hearts are touched by the sweet melody of joy and happiness. New Theological College, Dehradun, captured the hearts of more than five hundred people who attended their Christmas carol singing held yesterday. The entire program was conducted under the theme ‘proclaim his grace and glory.’ The New Theological College choir was directed by the Dean of School of Music Dr. Jacob Joseph who was accompanied by Jovan Paul, teacher at the School of Music. The orchestral team was a combination of students who came from all over the nation and united their vocals to fill the atmosphere with the songs of the birth of Jesus.
Songs, music, and Bible reading made the night. The songs and music were taken from a range of languages and periods in history. From traditional carols to 18th century composition to modern day songs and hymns the choir brought the night alive. Nepali, Marathi, Tamil, Mizo, Hindi were some of the languages that were used to convey the joy that has so richly filled their hearts. The message of the night was brought by Dr. Mohan Chacko, ex-Principal of Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Dr. Chacko softly but emphatically articulated the reality about the humanity of Christ which is so often undermined and overlooked. He portrayed Jesus as a person who is so imminent to us even when we have so intentionally kept him transcendent and away from us. Jesus as a true human who empathizes with us and not a superhuman who merely sympathizes was the crux of his message.
The night was a beautiful expression of true Christian spirit that lifted the hearts of many to a new experience from within.
