Fear Not: Repeating Christian Truth in Jazz

By Quentin Walston

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

And when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;

the flames will not set you ablaze.”

Isaiah 43:1-2 NIV

There are many reasons to internalize Scripture. Writing a jazz album is typically not on that list. However, when continually reminding oneself of the truth of God’s promises, it is possible, and even hoped, that the Word comes out in all that we do. I composed “Fear Not” in a season of my life where outside pressures and stresses threatened to overwhelm me. In the same manner that the song progresses by repeating a memorable theme, I overcame these challenges by returning again and again to God’s promises found in the Bible.

When I brought the sketch of this song to my jazz trio, I had my piano melody (a simple line in the right hand) and accompaniment (a simple line in the left hand) for about eight measures of music. Though I had a thought of what the drums should do, I had no bass part and no idea how to stretch this motif into an entire song. We decided to start playing the theme and looping it. My bass player picked out a line from the melody and chords I had scrawled down for him, and Daniel worked out the drum groove idea I had heard in a Miles Davis recording.  What came out of that uncertainty was gorgeous, thrilling, unbridled spontaneity somehow rooted in a ten-note melody.  That was the piece; that was all it had to be. Repeating and varying, building and rebuffing, exploring yet holding fast to the theme.  Unplanned and exploding with joy.

Reminding ourselves of the promises in Scripture keeps us rooted in positive truths such as trusting God; and averts us from negative steps such as denying God’s control. “Fear not” reads Isaiah 41 and 43. That alone demands a perspective shift. Also, in Psalm 27:1, the Lord, the King of the universe, is telling me not to worry: “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?”

“Fear not” -- so much truth and encouragement in two simple words.

“Fear Not”, available to listen to here, repeats the theme determinedly, as we should with the truth found in God’s Word. If I may, I do not think the motif in the song ever becomes boring, stagnant, or ordinary. In fact, the song’s musical constant allows the song to build and blossom.  When listening to “Fear Not”, we hear the drums begin alone, fading in. I soon start in with the theme on piano, with an unassuming but present tone.  To say the theme echoes implies the sound diminishes. Instead, we hear building. We hear movement. Delight in the pursuit.  Let us never cease in trusting Him, repeating these promises always kept, and delight in it! Psalm 37:5-6 says,

“Commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn.”

Even more exciting is that God does not wait for us to complete all our trials and tasks, and only then decide to become present in our life. The glory of the promises found in Isaiah is exactly what continues to excite me: He says, “I am with you”.  Verse 2 of chapter 43 reads:

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you… When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned.”

This does not promise that we will never experience hardship.  In fact, if we look through the Bible we quickly see that followers of God experienced much in the way of turmoil. To name a few: Daniel, Ruth, David, Mary, Jeremiah, Esther, Paul, Jacob, and certainly Jesus Christ.  The profound encouragement, which I hope comes through in “Fear Not” and the other songs on my album, is that God is with us during those challenges. He is not a spectator rooting for us, wondering what will happen, but actually with us in the moment, ready and able to lift us up and, as Isaiah writes, protect us from complete destruction.

“Fear Not” doesn’t end as it begins. You won’t hear the theme played for the last thirty-nine seconds. What you will hear is the subtle melodic suggestion of the next song, “I’m With You”.  One truth presented as a melody naturally flows into the other. We spend time deeply considering God’s Word, letting it grow and develop. Then, next truth is right there to meditate on, to internalize.

Quentin Walston is an active composer, pianist, and music educator in the Washington D.C. area. He composes for piano, his jazz trio, and large ensembles, blending memorable melodies, striking rhythms, and adventurous improvisations. “The Good Book Suite” will be available on November 20th. More information and music is available on his website, QuentinWalston.com.