Glory and Honor

Book excerpt: Johann Sebastian Bach was a musical genius, an intellectual giant and a gracious man. His achievement in the area of music is one of the greatest tours de force in history - on a par with or surpassing that of Shakespeare, Michelangelo, Dante, Rembrandt, or Aquinas. Bach worked at a crucial time in history. He combated the ideas of the Enlightenment with its elevation of human reason as the ultimate authority of everything. His struggles, musically and professionally, are those of a man seeking to maintain a high view of worship, academics, and the grounding of all life on the Word of God. As a man valiant in his convictions, he stood against the trends and fashions of his day and succeeded as a witness of the Gospel to the generations who followed him. While his name conjures many images, musical phrases, and half-remembered stories, the life of this colossal genius provides practical lessons in leadership for both artists and anyone who strives to serve others with excellence and integrity.