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By GLYN MACLEAN
Staff Writer

BAND: Alms Electronica (Yulia & Glyn MacLean)
CONCEPT: Making music according to your own values and beliefs (tolerance/being the example of the change that you want)

What the heck does that mean?!

Lets face it, show business has a reputation for all kinds of debauchery and silliness. Positive values and morality are the frequent casualty!

“Being in the world, but not of it” means to us, that we take our own sense of values and Christian beliefs into music industry. In this respect, they say that you can judge a tree by it’s fruit. So if you look at the fruit that falls from this tree, you’ll find that our Christian faith and beliefs underpin the artistry and flows through our conduct in the work that we do. The combined efforts of our Kiwi music brands supported charities in NZ to raise over NZ$700,000 in 2008. We continue to support Churches and charities in 2009.

We haven’t called ourselves “Christian artists” and this is simply because we are not here to preach to people. Rather, as Christians who are artists, we aim to “be the example” of the change that we want in the world. That goes with the saying “Lord let it begin with me.” We have frequent opportunities to discuss our faith to media and leadership who look to our conduct for signs of “Jesus”.

We think that a good Christian example includes living peacefully with those who believe different things to us. Being tolerant of someone else’s belief does not mean that we agree with them. We often oppose “crusades” which ignore Jesus teaching about “turning the other cheek” or God’s good news message of forgiveness. You are not converting anyone to Jesus love when you shoot them and their family. Generational harm is often caused in the name of religion. There is wisdom in finding what we have in common as a reference point for harmony. We also believe in “Hating the sin, not the man” in respect of giving people the opportunity to gain understanding. We think of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 which clearly states that “love is Patient”. In fact loving our “enemies” means being patient with them. Wherever there is conflict, there is usually a lack of love and faith.

We will not apologise for loving our Christian faith, but neither will we apologise for allowing people to coming into a relationship with Christ under their own steam by their own free will. A person should not be sold, cajoled or corralled (herded) into a belief, but rather should come to their own experiential realisation. Then it will be lasting. In fact a person from ANY faith can and will contemplate an understanding of the (usually) very same God.

Our music has been created in moments of spiritual reflection; contemplating the teachings of Jesus in the context of modern every day society. We don’t profess to always have it right, we do however always look to Jesus (and to the gospel) and ask ourselves “What would Jesus do?” in this situation.

So I often think to myself “What would Jesus sound like if he played piano?” and then I realise that great art will reflect great lives. So it is that we then focus on making sure we grow in the integrity of our faith in our daily lives.

As for Yulia, when she sings she is always contemplating her faith and love of God. It comes through in her voice. So many people who have approached us have told us that the “Amazing Grace” moved them towards wanting closer relationship with God.

Our mission is simply to inspire, encourage and empower people through our creativity to greater self love and the love of others. Others will express their faith quite differently as is appropriate to their mission.

We will continue to act as a catalyst to help people make that initial step to become more spiritually, environmentally, ecologically and humanly aware and help people to embrace universally agreed principles that have a foundation in Christian theology.