What Does Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture Have To Do With Christianity and Buddhism?

Each recent Memorial Day in Kansas City, the Kansas City Symphony has performed a free concert at the foot of the National World War I Museum at Kansas City’s Liberty Memorial. It’s quite an event—this year reportedly drawing about 50,000 persons. The concert has always ended with Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture with real canons sounding their appropriate parts at the end, followed by a stunning fireworks display. I suspect that Kansas City is not unique—that the Overture receives repeated performances across the USA every Memorial Day and 4th of July.

To a society that eschewed French Fries in favor of Freedom Fries, it’s curious to me that a piece of Russian musical culture commemorating the defense of Moscow against Napoleon’s invading forces is so engrafted upon the patriotic conscience of Americans. Why are we so willing to embrace this cultural symbol of our Cold War nemesis (who in fact at times was a legitimate threat to our safety—witness the Cuban Missile Crisis), yet feel so threatened as Christians when confronted by a compassionate, peaceful and tolerant religion such as Buddhism?

And as long as I’m posing questions, let me tee up another. The fireworks display was unbelievable and undescribable. But even lacking a description on my part, you probably believe me, not only believe that the fireworks display actual happened but also believe the wonder and grandeur of it. Why, then, is it so hard for us (me especially) to believe in Christ’s resurrection so wonderfully described in the Gospels and New Testament Epistles?