Music

Have you ever known someone who didn’t like music? I’ve known one. It was said of my great uncle. Even as a child, I wondered what was wrong with him. Was there something defective about his ears? Now that I think about him, maybe he didn’t have any emotions. At least he never showed them. Was he deaf? Was he dead?

I also knew a pastor who had little use for music until my husband and I showed him the power it had to unite worshippers in praising God. I know, church music can be used to manipulate people emotionally. But it also can be used to teach, and to reach past the intellect and touch one’s soul in a way that nothing else can.

Have you ever been bathed in music? Last night I felt the warm, soothing sounds of the orchestra wash over me and immerse me, engulfing me in the refreshing beauty. There is so much ugliness in this world that the lovely things make a stark comparison. My husband and I sat in the side balcony overlooking the Kansas City Symphony as we listened to Dvorak’s 8th Symphony. It was a feast for our eyes and our ears. How could anyone not like such an experience?

Psychological tests have shown that I am an extremely sensitive individual. So perhaps that’s a gift from the Creator that allows me to enjoy music at a deeper level than some. But I hope you find something exquisitely beautiful to listen to today and let its sound wash over you and through you until you feel clean. Not all music can do that, and we each have different tastes. But I challenge you to turn off the noise (fake music) and listen to the real thing. Maybe put on some head phones and indulge in a little feast for the soul. Doesn’t that sound like a good idea?