A Symphony

Last night my husband and I had the privilege of attending a marvelous concert by the Kansas City Symphony. It featured works by several composers and the skill of some outstanding young soloists from our community. As always, when I hear this music, I am awestruck, even breathless at times. By the end of the program I was thinking about the dimensions of the performance that can be paralleled in the kingdom of God.

All of the artists work together to produce the beautiful music. Each one carefully reads the notes and follows the conductor. Any one of them would sound lovely alone, but how much more beautiful and rich the sound is when they play together.

They don’t all play all of the time. There are some small sections of the orchestra featured for a short time. Even some solos. There are chances to rest. But each piece usually ends with the full orchestra. Sometimes soft. Sometimes loud. But always glorious.

Sometimes the music is slow. Sometimes fast. Sometimes fun. Sometimes serious, even sad. That’s life, isn’t it? How boring it would be if everything were the same all of the time.

I love hearing the variety of sounds of the different instruments. I mean, look at the difference between the sound of a violin and a tuba. The strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion all have a unique timbre, but can attain a beautiful blend. The triangle doesn’t play all of the time, but when it has a place to shine, it’s a vitally important sound for that moment.

So I’m wondering – are we making beautiful music together? Are we in tune with each other? Are we contributing something important, even when we are in the background? Are we supporting those who are the chosen soloists? Are we hearing the beauty reflected in both the happy and the sad passages? Are we content with who God has made us to be, not wishing we were a different instrument? And are we practicing godliness diligently, being disciplined in order to achieve excellence?

And most of all – are we following the conductor? Do we cooperate with his interpretation of the pieces, knowing that he knows best? The Lord is directing our symphony. Is it a beautiful sound in His ears? And does it reverberate throughout the kingdom for all the world to hear?