I have never excelled in music. Indeed, my lowest grades in school were in music and the arts. However, I am an admirer of music and have enjoyed listening to various genres over the years. Light classical music has been a favorite for decades, especially Vivaldi and Bach. Inspired by the latter’s musical genius, I took some violin lessons at the tender age of 40.
During this time of quarantine, music has been refreshing to me as I spend most of the day time alone in a room working. Thanks to Spotify, I can stream music non-stop while I work. After years of neglect, I even rediscovered the joy of playing the violin (OK, my housemates may not be enthused!).
It has been said that music is the universal language. All cultures and societies have composed their unique songs and music. Each country has its national anthem, which stirs the emotion of its citizens whenever they hear it. Those in love are animated by their romantic theme songs. Even sports teams have their “anthems”, which kindle their fans’ devotion.
That music is universally enjoyed should not surprise us because God is its author. Indeed, music is an essential element of worship. The book of Psalms contains 150 hymns that extol God and express all manner of emotions. These hymnody has been used by the people of God to express their deepest feelings of praise and worship. In the New Testament, the apostle Paul challenged the church at Ephesus to “be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart” (Ephesians 5:18b-19).
Sadly, music has also been used to corrupt the morals of people; some explicitly glamorizing evil. Young people are especially vulnerable to the insidious influence of such music. One has to be wary then of what kind of music he/she welcomes to his/her life.
Still, we must be grateful for the gift of music. Praise God for coloring our lives with the wonders of music.
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