"In the Spirit" by Swami Kriyananda - Christ Lives - An Illustrated Oratorio
An illustrated oratorio, Christ Lives is a contemporary Oratorio that vividly brings to life the deep meaning of Christ's life. The photography and music by Swami Kriyananda, is sung by the Ananda World Brotherhood Choir.
Composed after Swami Kriyananda visited the Holy Land in 1983, Christ Lives brilliantly captures the profoundly inspiring and uplifting experience of Christ’s presence there. In 2008, Swami Kriyananda and the World Brotherhood performed in San Jose, California.
This is Swami’s introduction: “I wrote this Oratorio after a visit to Israel, which we in the West call the Holy Land. I meditated. It’s very different Oratorio from any other you might find. I meditated in the various scared places. I felt the presence of Christ there, and I prayed to Him and He gave me these melodies. You can take that as you will, but to me it’s a reality. The melodies express the vibration of His presence which I felt there. It was a very holy visit for me. I hope you will feel His presence.”
As music alone can do, the Oratorio reaches the soul with both the message and spirit of Christ's life, and his call to all seekers to awaken the Divine within.
Lyrics
I was caught up in ecstasy:
’Twas a day sanctified by God.
There He showed me the truths of heaven,
Truths which all, seeking Him, should know:
How the soul, made to live in freedom,
Can reclaim its eternal right;
How the night, born of our delusions,
Can be fired, blazing with His light.
