Alone Yet Not Alone

If you have an ear even slightly inclined to popular culture these days, you'll know the Oscars fast approach. March 2 may seem like a while to go (of course we've still got the monumental Superbowl Sunday to look forward to first), but nominees are up, and one special song nominated for an Academy Award has left many, many people balking. This is the title song of an obscure independent movie that most people have never heard of. It's Alone Yet Not Alone. But as Denny Burk says,

The big surprise was not so much that it was from a little known independent movie but that it was from a Christian movie. Not only that, the song is sung by none other than evangelical mainstay Joni Eareckson Tada. As you might imagine, Hollywood was pretty miffed after the announcement. After all, Oscar-nominees comprise a really exclusive club. And it’s almost unthinkable to imagine that Joni Eareckson Tada would beat out the likes of Taylor Swift, Celine Dion, and U2. But that’s exactly what happened. The question is this. How did it happen?

Indeed, that is the question. The Los Angeles Times reported Oscars music branch member Cynthia Weil saying,

There are always surprises. There must be a group of the music branch that saw that film and thought that song was worthy.

Whatever the case is, it is certainly important for evangelical Christians to be aware of. The song has clear gospel implications and words rooted in Scripture. We can pray for its witness and that those connected with it will bear their conduct in a Christ-like manner. And we can thank God that in His providence, He has let this little slice of light cut into the perpetual darkness that seems to surround Hollywood. Even moreso, we can rejoice in the words to this beautiful song, for "wherever I roam, I'm alone, yet not alone."