The Canopy of God’s Grace

I wanted my new devotional Baha’i album Canopy to be a journey.

I envisioned a spiritual roller coaster mirroring my humble understanding of my Faith and its lessons. I saw a story told with music.

And I needed Canopy’s introduction to be symbolic, so I contemplated the humble beginnings of the Baha’i Faith in the mid-19th Century.

This diverse, international Baha’i community, which has spread to just about every nation, people, tribe and former faith on earth by now, started with only a handful of incredible souls named the Dawn Breakers. This band of heroes broke through their Faith’s early obscurity in the Middle East to make way for the full force of the sun.

But that’s how all great movements begin, right? They start with a silent clarion call creeping up against the night sky, softly nudging us to awaken from our sleep. It’s a quiet awakening, a color-suffusing subtlety that stirs nature out of its hushed darkness. It all begins so softly. That’s how I wanted to start Canopy.

Here’s the lyric of the first song, “Thou Mayest Find Me,” written by the Founder of the Baha’i Faith, Baha’u’llah, in His mystical book The Hidden Words:

O SON OF MAN!

Thou art My dominion and My dominion perisheth not; wherefore fearest thou thy perishing? Thou art My light and My light shall never be extinguished; why dost thou dread extinction? Thou art My glory and My glory fadeth not; thou art My robe and My robe shall never be outworn. Abide then in thy love for Me, that thou mayest find Me in the realm of glory.

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This beautiful, deeply symbolic Holy writing itself set the stage for the record’s journey: “Abide then in Thy love for Me, That Thou Mayest Find me in the realm of Glory”.

I guess, in some way, Canopy represents my search for this spiritual Realm of Glory.

Read the next article in the series: A Million Ways to Intone Your Prayer