Acoustics

Lots of people like to sing in the shower. Why there? Because the acoustics are great. The sound is enhanced by bouncing off the hard surfaces and everyone seems braver in the privacy of the little cubicle.

When I taught at Columbia Bible College (now CIU) my voice students liked to practice in the two-story stairway that led to the music offices. It was a narrow hallway with all hard surfaces and the sound echoed around and seemed ten times louder than in my carpeted office.

When I was recently in Germany, I heard a pipe organ concert in an old cathedral where the sound reverberated all around me and filled me. It felt like I was being wrapped up in a gorgeous blanket that made me feel warm inside and out.

Tonight we heard a concert in our symphony hall here in Kansas City. The auditorium there has very fine acoustics. You can hear every sound clearly without microphones. But it didn’t feel like the sound in the cathedral. Wow, they sure knew how to build churches back in the 1500’s!

I understand that when the Lincoln Center in New York City was built, the acoustics left a lot to be desired. You can be sure that the finest engineers had worked to make it good, but the musicians were very disappointed. It takes more than an ideal plan on paper to be successful in this area. Fortunately, some adjustments were made to correct the problem. Modern scientists could learn a lot from the early architects.

All this thinking about acoustics makes me wonder what the music will sound like in heaven. The acoustics there will be perfect. And the sound of thousands (or millions) of saints singing God’s praises will reverberate through us and in us and from us. What an exciting prospect!

If I can carry the analogy a little further, let’s think about the acoustics of our souls. I’m wondering if my heart is clean, free from clutter and obstacles that would get in the way of the sound of the Holy Spirit’s voice. Do I hear God singing His love song to me? Am I listening as I would in a concert hall or cathedral?

How about you? Can you think of ways to improve the acoustics within you so that God’s voice reverberates through your being?