 San Simeon State Beach, California (Photo: Miriam Seligman) I sat watching the sandpiper for some time as it dug for invertebrates with its long, curved beak. It darted back and forth along the sand, dodging each incoming wave as though it were learning a dance known only to the sea. - MS
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By Scott Stevens  After clicking 'Play', please wait a few moments for the music to load. Dawn Will Prevail begins with fragility of hope in the form of a thin arrangement featuring solo piano and strings. When dawn "arrives," it is only after the night's darkest hours. As the full orchestra swells in, the chord progression sounds alternately heroic and slightly unresolved as the piece moves through different keys. Sometimes hope is tangible, firm, and within reach, but often it can be more elusive, requiring us to take hold of it firmly. Dawn Will Prevail first appeared in The Vastness EP, which was a concerted effort to listen inwardly and write what emerged over the course of three weeks in June 2020. Each track features relatively sparse instrumentation that grows more dense with dynamic emotional swells. While writing, city curfews were enforced, violence and destruction sparked, peaceful protests formed, and my mother received life-saving emergency surgery. The EP juxtaposes heaviness with resolute hope because that is what I have felt and what I feel now. Scott Stevens is a composer whose versatility stems from eclectic influences. His music is featured in multiple independent film scores as well as ads for Toyota, Saatchi & Saatchi and Red Bull, among others. Scott holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Composition from Point Loma Nazarene University and a Master’s degree in Global Music Composition from San Diego State University.
By Josh Seligman 'Ah, but what is the Kingdom of God?'
A relative asked me this question recently when I was describing Foreshadow to her. She is a theologian by profession, but it's a question I suspect most people ask, at least subconsciously, when I tell them that Foreshadow will feature writing that points to the Kingdom of God. My answer to this question, as it involves Foreshadow, is essentially 'Watch this space'. One of my aims is that Foreshadow embodies an answer to this question through its memoir pieces, fiction stories, poems, music and other content. As several of my professors have advised in the craft of creative writing, 'Show, don't tell.' Didn't Jesus himself describe the Kingdom of God through stories and images?
Stories and metaphors have power to teach people about spiritual realities that are difficult, if not impossible, to describe through other means. I'm not saying direct teaching or preaching is ineffective. Jesus did this too, and called his disciples to do the same. It's essential, and it doesn't exclude the use of imagery. Effective sermons, for example, use illustrations to help listeners connect with and understand the message. But many magazines already feature sermons and direct forms of teaching, and many do it well. Not many publications, though, are dedicated to proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom primarily through art, beauty, music and narrative. Foreshadow seeks to fill this gap. As author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry said, 'If you want to build a ship, don't drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.' I wonder if one of the reasons Jesus told his parables was to teach us to yearn and strive for the Kingdom of God. May Foreshadow continue that work. |
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