Kruis van liefde: "Dis óns storie"

deur Wouter van Wyk - T2 Vox Chamber Choir

{An English translation follows the Afrikaans}

Die krag van enige verhaal is dat ‘n mens met sekere karakters kan identifiseer. ‘n Goeie storie trek jou in. Dit maak jou deel. Dit maak dat “hulle” storie eintlik jou storie word. Dit wat met hulle gebeur, gebeur met jou. Jy word onsigbaar verbind aan iets wat buite jouself is. Slim ouens noem dit transendensie. Hierdie oomblik van transendensie bring iets anders. Dit bring troos, vrede, sekerheid en nog baie ander dinge waarvoor ons nog woorde soek.

Oomblikke van transendensie is skaars en kosbaar.

Kruis van Liefde is so ‘n oomblik.

Ek is die nuutste lid van die Vox-koor en het in beseringstyd eers hierdie storie betree. Ek was onvoorbereid vir dit wat vir my gewag het. Na ‘n jaar van bitter min troos, vrede, sekerheid en ander dinge waarvoor ons nog woorde soek, wou ek net rustig in ‘n koor sing en musiek maak. Maar in plaas daarvan om maar net rustig op ‘n Donderdagaand ‘n paar note kwyt te raak saam met ‘n paar ander mensies, word ek toe op ‘n diep geestelike reis geneem waar ek die kragtigste storie van alle tye mag oorvertel.

Nog nooit kon ek hierdie bekende verhaal op so ‘n manier beleef soos hier nie. Op ‘n onbeskryflike diep manier word ek elke karakter in die verhaal. Ek is deel van die skare wat skree: “Kruisig hom”. Ek is die misdadiger aan die kruis wat smeek: “Dink aan my wanneer U in u koninkryk kom.” Ek is deel van Jesus se genade met die woorde: “Vader, vergewe hulle”. En ek kan al hierdie dinge in my eie taal sing! Dit maak die ervaring net meer tasbaar.

Ek ervaar die gebrokenheid. Ek ervaar die pyn. Ek ervaar die genade. Ek ervaar die liefde. “Hulle” storie word my storie. Maar wanneer die laaste noot gesing word, en ek kyk rondom my en ek sien die emosie in my koormaats se oë, besef ek nog iets - Dis nie net my storie nie. Dis ONS storie. Ek is nie alleen nie. Iets het hier gebeur. Ek is deel van iets baie groter. Hier was transendensie.

Oomblikke van transendensie is skaars en kosbaar.

Die volle oratorium Kruis van liefde, gekomponeer deur Franco Prinsloo, word op Goeie Vrydag, 02 April, 2021 om 14:05 op RSG uitgesaai.

*Wouter van Wyk is 'n tenoor in Vox Chamber Choir en leraar by die NG Tygerpoort in Pretoria.

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Kruis van liefde: "It's our story".

By Wouter van Wyk

Translated by Hanni van Zyl Beyers

The power of any story lies in the fact that you are able to identify with certain characters. A

good story pulls you in. It makes you part of the story. “Their” story really becomes your

story. What happens to them also happens to you. You become invisibly linked to something

outside yourself. Clever people call this transcendence. This moment of transcendence

brings with it something else. It brings comfort, peace, certainty and many other things that

we don’t have words for yet. Moments of transcendence are rare and precious.

“Kruis van Liefde” is such a moment.

I am the newest member of Vox Chamber Choir and became part of this story only at the

last gasp. I was unprepared for what was awaiting me. Following a year of little comfort,

peace and certainty, and other things we don’t have words for yet, I just wanted to calmly

sing in a choir and make music. But instead of merely calmly singing a few notes with a few

other people on a Thursday evening, I came to be led on a deep spiritual journey where I

can retell the most powerful story of all time.

Never before have I been able to experience this well-known story in such a way. In an

indescribably deep way I become every character in the story. I am part of the masses

screaming, “Crucify him!” I am the thief on the cross pleading, “Remember me when you

come into your kingdom.” I am part of the mercy of Jesus with His words, “Father, forgive

them.” And I am able to sing all these things in my own language, Afrikaans. This makes the

experience even more tangible.

I experience the brokenness. I experience the pain. I experience the mercy. I experience the

love. “Their” story becomes my story. But when the last note has been sung and I look

around me and witness the emotion in my fellow choir members’ eyes, I realise something

else. This is not just my story. It is OUR story. I am not alone. Something happened here. I

am part of something much bigger. This was transcendence.

Moments of transcendence are rare and precious.

That full oratorio, composed by Franco Prinsloo, will be broadcast on RSG on Good Friday, 02 April, 2021 at 14:05.

**Wouter van Wyk a Tenor in Vox Chamber Choir and also the pastor at NG Tygerpoort in Pretoria.