“Everybody cries/Everybody yearns for something/Everybody lies/And loses faith and tells no one but you/How do you love us all?/It must be hard some days/I know it is for me/When I see the mess we’ve made/But underneath this junk heap/Your jewel is shining there/Yes underneath this junk heap/Your jewel is always there”
—from “No One But You”
Lisbeth Scott’s press kit isn’t typical for a secular artist. In it, she expresses hope that her music might reach people who normally wouldn’t be reached, in the way Jesus reached out to everyone. She goes on to say, “Sometimes it just takes that right moment or the right sound or the right word to turn someone’s heart, or to bring someone to a place that they’ve never been before—to open their heart to healing and to a love, Christ’s love that they never knew was there.”
Unusual? Sure. Yet, many spiritual happenings have taken place in the entertainment world since The Passion of The Christ released earlier this year. Scott, like many others, partly credits the film with her own spiritual awakening.
A lapsed Episcopalian, Scott’s renewal began when she sang “Amazing Grace” on a recording, State of Grace. She described the experience in recent interviews (including this one from our sister site, Christianity Today Movies), saying she felt God used her as a vessel. Co-writing and singing on the score of The Passion sealed the deal for Scott. Her faith was regenerated.
She wears her spiritual encounters on her sleeve on her latest album, Passionate Voice. Her beautifully haunting vocals, reminiscent of a mix between Enya and Sarah McLachlan, speak of pain, searching, divine and human love, the resiliency of the human spirit and renewal.
Every song on the album either directly mentions God, or explores themes in keeping with Jesus’ teachings. In the above referenced song, “No One But You,” she reminds listeners that God can make jewels of us despite the layers of life that obscure his radiance in us. “Stones” extols forgiveness. “All of These Years” shows that God is listening even when we think he’s not. In “To Love and Be Loved,” she sings about giving and receiving divine and human love.
Although the name of Christ is only mentioned once, Scott rightly feels the CD would fit into the Christian music world. In fact, some albums on Christian bookstore shelves are no more overt in their message than hers.
For instance, acquiescing to God’s will is the subject of “Surrender.” “It’s funny what these eyes won’t see so/I surrender and I lay down my needs/I surrender these desires I speak/I surrender and I open my heart/To what will be/To what you see.”
Although Scott doesn’t belong to a church and has said in a televised interview that she is “not one of those” [evangelicals], she prays, does daily devotions and professes belief in Jesus.
Trained as a classical pianist, Scott made her way to Hollywood, where she has become the voice du jour in many film and television soundtracks, including The Passion. Scott considers music her vehicle for giving people comfort and lifting their hearts. In her song, “Grace,” she says God did that for her: “This holy heart of yours/Takes me away/There’s only more and more/When I believe/I can feel you near me (just like you said you’d be)/I can hear you breathe/(like you’re a part of me)/I can feel you near me/(just like you said you’d be)/I can hear you.”
Passionate Voice offers hope of God’s love to all, including those who don’t venture into the Christian section of a record store.
Unless specified clearly, we are not implying whether this artist is or is not a Christian. The views expressed are simply the author’s. For a more complete description of our Glimpses of God articles, click here.
