After what seemed like hours of applause and praise accompanied by waves of light, Jesus quieted the crowd. “For your listening pleasure and enjoyment, here is My beloved son. The one and only Johnny Cashlesslove!”
The former rock star of Age Past walked onto the stage. At the center of the stage, he and the King embraced for a long time.
Jerome noticed how young—and vibrant—the man appeared. He couldn’t place it. Yes, he looked healthy and whole and even somewhat like his old young self. But more than that—What’s the right word? He looked—humble. There, in the embrace of the King, the singer looked content. Like nothing except the King’s embrace matters.
Johnny trembled. “You’re worth every possession, my King. Everything.”
Jesus expressed His love and how much He enjoyed Johnny’s music and lyrics. Most importantly, He loved Johnny for who he was—period.
Johnny again tried to express his gratefulness, but only meaningless babble came out.
Jesus laughed. “I know. I know. I can’t wait, son. You were meant to sing it for Me—not speak it. Grab your guitar and get going.”
Jerome smiled over at his cousin, Sam, and the rest of his friends. “Here we go.”
As applause filled the atmosphere, visible praise and light reverberation reached out and struck the musician. Instead of being absorbed by Johnny’s body, the light ricocheted toward Jesus and the throne of God.
“Hi, I’m Johnny Cashlesslove.” His famous introduction sounded clunky with the longer last name. Everyone still laughed and applauded.
Johnny sang some of the popular songs from Age Past. Many of the lyrics he’d penned were dark and depressing—matching his life at the time. At one point, Cashlesslove peered at God’s throne. “I felt you there with me during those difficult times.”
Near the end of the concert, he dismissed the band and stood alone with his guitar under a single spotlight in the middle of the Articomb stage. With head down and the world watching, he picked his guitar strings. Overcome with emotion, the singer lifted his head and turned toward Jesus.
“I did thousands of concerts in my career in front of millions of screaming fans.” His voice broke. “I’ve been waiting a long time to sing this song to the only audience I care about, the only audience that really matters—You.”
Facing King Jesus, whose throne sat in perfect symmetry with the throne of God, he played and sang a beautiful rendition of You Are So Beautiful to Me. No one familiar with his music in Age Past had heard an emotional performance like this—so elegant and heartfelt.
