Beauty Will Rise

Today, 18 months after the death of his youngest daughter, Maria, adoption advocate and musician Steven Curtis Chapman, releases a collection of songs: prayers, psalms, laments.

If you've been reading DARKSAYINGS since May 2008 or before, you'll remember this tragic story. I'll try to explain to people who are not aware of the situation.

Maria was adopted by the Chapman family (their 3rd from China) as a baby in 2004. She was originally listed as a special needs orphan due to a heart condition. Upon arriving home in the US, Maria was examined and found to be perfectly healthy. Her name and face was used frequently when the Chapmans promoted the non-profit that they founded to help adoptive families, Show Hope.

Just after her fifth birthday, she was accidently hit and killed by an SUV driven by her older brother. The story hit national media outlets the same night and immediately gifts and cards began being sent to the Chapman home. The Chapmans immediately asked for all gifts to be sent in the form of donations to Show Hope so that more orphans like Maria could be helped.

People from everywhere responded and $800,000 dollars was raised to help orphans. Since then, Show Hope has grown to include not only adoption grants, but a special six-story home in the central plains of China called Maria's Big House of Hope. MBHH provide hospice care and surgeries for orphans in China that are considered unadoptable by the Chinese government. Show Hope workers and volunteers have also provided aid in the Sichuan Earthquake zone in Central China.

Beauty Will Rise, was recorded in memory of Maria, mostly in solitude and wherever Chapman found himself at the time. Most adoptive families have a huge admiration for the Chapmans, including this one. The music is worth a listen, probably more so now than ever, and will give insight into a life of compassion for the least of these. Find it at iTunes or Amazon.