Logan and Brannon Heftel

Logan and Brannon Heftel.
Copyright © 2006 Barry G. Moses.

My wife and I went to the Hula Hut this afternoon to hear Logan and Brannon Heftel perform. I have to speak something of my experience, but to do so, you must allow me one small digression.

Several years ago I took a lifestyle assessment as part of a counseling or psychology class at Whitworth College purporting to measure the sum of all lifestyle choices, genetic pre-dispositions, health, and other risk factors to determine my expected lifespan. In other words, it basically told me how long I can expect to live; or more bluntly, the test told me I will die by age 74.

If we trust the validity of this particular instrument, my life is almost half over. I’m optimistic enough to believe the best years are yet to come, but I’m also realistic enough to know I’ve seen my share of disappointment, loss, misfortune, and tragedy. I like to believe my life has been enriched because of my mistakes and that my compassion deepened because of sadness.

Even so, Logan’s music startles me, and I wonder how a teenager can speak of things I only came to know through significant personal loss. This afternoon I heard him sing and his voice was deep, melodic, and soulful; entirely betraying his youth and mundane surroundings. Maybe no one else hears the message, or maybe no one else sees the depth, or maybe I read my own experience into the lyrics, but this much I know: somehow the Great Mystery spoke to my soul once again through this insightful young man. It literally brings tears to my eyes.

Or maybe music reveals a deeper truth; the artist is only a medium or a channel for hidden knowledge. We call it Spirit, the Breath of God.

I believe God sends us messengers to deliver important information in the precise moment we need it. Sometimes those messengers come in the form of a something we witness in nature, the line of a song on the radio, a casual comment from an acquaintance. In my life, at this particular time, Logan is my messenger. Like the North Star he sings about, these messages point the way home. Many thanks to Logan and Brannon for heeding the call.

I have a very high opinion of Logan and Brannon, but they regard themselves with more humility. During their performance this afternoon, Brannon said, "Thanks for listening to us today and not complaining too loudly." They'll get no complaints from me.

Check out Logan's website here: Logan Heftel.