This is something different. To celebrate Easter, some Arab Christians conducted a flash mob at a mall in Beirut. Not quite as catchy as “On Eagle’s Wings” but nice none the less. Usually when you have the words Arab, Christian, Flash, and Mob in the same sentence, it usually means something completely different.
May 27, 2011 at 10:52 am
I love this video. It's great to see people celebrating their faith publicly, especially in a muslim country.
I have to say there is nothing catchy about Eagle's wings. Irritating, yes but catchy, no
May 27, 2011 at 12:54 pm
Can anyone tell us the name of the song? its words/ meaning?
May 27, 2011 at 1:38 pm
Here's a version with subtitles:
http://www.wheatandweeds.com/2011/04/yeshua-is-risen.html
It's from the Divine Liturgy: "Jesus is risen from the dead. By death he conquered death and to those in the grave he gave life."
May 27, 2011 at 2:34 pm
To the first "Anonymous" commenter: Lebanon is not a "muslim" country, nor is it governed by sharia law. Muslims hold a slight majority in the population, but the country is, and has traditionally been, populated by Christians, including large numbers of Maronite Catholics. Notice about that mall…how many women do you see veiled, or in burkas? That should tell you something. Relations between Christians and muslims in Lebanon are generally much better than in other parts of the M.E., so this Easter flash mob isn't that radical (wonderful, yes, radical, no).
Ann
May 27, 2011 at 4:22 pm
This is THE Paschal hymn of the Orthodox Church. The above reader translated it as "Jesus is risen from the dead," but the Arabic is actually "al Masih haqqam-a-min bai nil am mwawt." You can probably see how "Masih" looks and sounds like "Messiah." It's the arabic for Messiah, or, translated in Greek, "Christ." In fact, the main man sings it in Greek one time – "Christos anesti ek nekron, thanato thanaton patisas, kai tis en tis mnimasi zoin charisamenos." The Arabic and Greek versions are exact translations of each other, each meaning: "Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life."
In the Orthodox services of Pascha this gets sung repeatedly – during the Matins canon in very fast melodies that can be quite boisterous and ecstatic (we use the same fast melody here, in fact, and we swing the chandeliers, throw flower petals all over the place and have as many priests as possible dash around with censers, shouting "Christ is risen" during this time); at the end of Lauds, it is sung thrice in a very slow and beautiful melody.
Christ is risen! Al Masih qam! Christus Surrexit! Christos Anesti!
Fr. Augustine
May 27, 2011 at 4:24 pm
Beautiful! Thank you for this wonderful reminder of the universality of our faith!
May 27, 2011 at 5:27 pm
Marvelous!
May 27, 2011 at 7:50 pm
The Byzantine rite are still singing this at every Divine Liturgy until the Ascension…we try to feast as much as we fast!
May 27, 2011 at 7:56 pm
Very very beautiful. Thanks Ann for your insight. Thanks Fr. Augustine for you expertise in these languages. Wow. Makes me want to travel to Lebanon. What voices. Thank you Patrick Archbold. Wonderful.
May 27, 2011 at 7:58 pm
@Anonymous. I am sorry to mess this all to beautiful post with the fact that "ON EAGLES' WINGS" is catchy. It is written by a practicing homosexual and his patner neither one of whom cares about the other's soul.
May 27, 2011 at 8:27 pm
The "eagles wings" thing was a joke people. Try to keep up.
May 27, 2011 at 9:05 pm
I wonder if "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" sung as a flash mob would have the same, uh, swing and vigor. That rocked!
May 27, 2011 at 9:36 pm
Oh, poop. And I thought you meant it. You guys are always so serious, Pat.