The idea of a hasidic reggae superstar may sound strange, but if you've heard the music of Matthew Miller--"Matisyahu" is his Hebrew and stage name--then you know there's something about it that touches the soul and spirit.
Take for example his song "Silence," which you can listen to here. It begins with the Hebrew of Psalm 19:14, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer," and continues:
Bring my broken heart to an invisible king
With a hope one day you might answer me
So I pray don’t you abandon me.
Your silence kills me
I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Is it wrong to think you might speak to me?
Would it be words and what would you say?
It’s so heavy a heavy price to pay
your silence.
Matisyahu discovered God in the Rocky Mountains as a teenager, according to this biography, eventually "making every attempt to abide by Jewish Law." But recently he shocked legions of followers by shaving his beard, saying the external aspects of his Orthodox faith had become "deadening and oppressive."
I invite you to read the interview with him on the subject, and reflect together on his--and our--journey from legalism in search of a living, free relationship with our Creator.