His Masterpiece

I recently watched a documentary called “Hallelujah:Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song”. Like many, I love the song “Hallelujah” but never heard of it’s writer, Leonard Cohen. The documentary explores the life of this Canadian singer, songwriter, poet and novelist especially focusing on his musical career, 22 albums in almost 50 years, with specific emphasis on his one masterpiece “Hallelujah”.

The writing of “Hallelujah” took Cohen about 7 years before he was satisfied enough to record it. The album “Various Positions” which included “Hallelujah” was rejected by Columbia Records in 1984 because they did not think it was commercially viable. The album was eventually picked up by an independent label, Passport Records but saw limited distribution.

Cohen would play “Hallelujah” at his concert performances and it wasn’t long before other artists started to perform and record their own versions. The song gained international attention when a version was included in the movie Shrek in 2001. A quick search on YouTube will prove that this masterpiece has impacted millions of people.

The Bible also talks about a masterpiece.

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Ephesians 2:10

With all the beauty of the universe, the diversity of nature and the wonders of our planet, it is truly amazing that God’s finest and greatest work, His masterpiece, would be the creation of Adam and Eve. The ability to design a man and a woman and to fill them with something called love is truly unique. He gave us all the ability to love, a truly incredible gift. It’s worth a moment to meditate on what love is and how and why it was created.

Cohen’s lyrics remind me that this perfect reflection of God, this love between a man and a woman, has been tainted by sin and left flawed. The song is beautiful, honest and heartbreaking and truly transcends the natural. It creates a longing to understand why there is so much pain in the world and how we miss the mark when it comes to loving each other. I’m not sure if Cohen ever found his answer.

We’ve all experienced heartbreak but if you have a longing to get back to the original plan and allow real love to thrive, there is only one way to do that; it is through Jesus Christ. In Christ we can learn how to love each other and Him completely. Yes, you can transform back into His untarnished masterpiece!