When I grew up the cello was not an instrument of cool and amazing potential. I believe the only cool cello in my adolescence was the one that the James Bond girl in “Living Daylights” (circa 1987, had to look it up, even much older than I thought). Even then the cello was an instrument that played amidst the background of a symphony. Not a bad task to or identity as an instrument, but did you ever think that the cello would be something people would marvel at?
Years later you then had the likes of a Yo-Yo Ma who takes the classic instrument and his stellar reputation as one of, if not the, greatest cello player to the varied stages and collaborative efforts like the Goat Rodeo Sessions. Bringing his art and talents to a whole new field imaging new creative ways to create and image of God.
But today, you get the likes of Kevin Olusola and his fusion of cello, classic, improvised, and beatbox stylings into a new imagination. One million plus people later have delighted in just this particular video.
So how do I see young people shaping the Kingdom of God? They are taking these historic elements and redefining, re-imagining, and re-creating what they are capable of. And that is just the cello.
We are already seeing young people start to redefine what it means to be a Christian (good or bad in our eyes), re-imagining what it means to be in service & mission (whether we are comfortable with it or not), re-creating a world shaped by them (whether we want to stop it or not).
My best advice is to just sit back and enjoy the music, the art, the new shapes, and the new ways because they are on to something.
credit to BMOORE Visuals for the featured post photo usage. You have some great work & need to study your style.
About Gavin Richardson
