Let the music play

Some of my fondest childhood memories are the times I spent with my Auntie Sheila learning to sing, play the piano, and the life lessons that come from the arts and music. With a few exceptions, I enjoy nearly every genre of music. Always have. Rap, Latin vibe, Folk, EDM, African rhythms, classic rock, or many others, I find such joy in the beauty and passion of music. Last night we sat on the hill above the stage while the sounds of the Britt Orchestra filled the amphitheater with a transcendent performance of Wagner, Copland, and Mozart as the sun set behind us. It was beautiful. Wine, music, friends, and family. Not much better than that. One thing that amazes me is the way a large band or orchestra can play together in such harmony and oneness. Each artist giving themselves over to the collective canvas of the music, and I realized this morning why that is such a beautiful thing. This is how we were created to live. Each of us, with our own unique gifts, personalities, and passions contributing to the collective beauty of our world.

“We fight for the oppressed….”

The term “Social Justice” has become quite polarizing, but it doesn’t need to be. It is basically this idea that we are to live in a way that is beyond ourselves. We fight for the oppressed, care for the poor and the sick, welcome the immigrants, and treat every human with the utmost love and respect that they deserve regardless of ____________ (fill in the blank). This is not a left-wing political ideology. This is biblical love, the kind of justice that God instructed his people to live like. It’s definitely a radical way to live and I want to learn to do it better.

It’s funny, the more I write about love, the more I realize how often I am not loving. Even as I desire to live in peace and spread kindness, I find myself impatient, selfish, and argumentative. Like a violist hitting the wrong note, it can be a distraction from the song being played. This is where we give grace to ourselves and to others, and just keep practicing the way of love. We continue to learn, to forgive, and to be forgiven, and raise your voice of love in harmony with each other. There is a beautiful song of love waiting to be played out in our lives, so let the music play.

For more on this and what God has to say about justice, I highly recommend this video by the Bible Project (link below).

https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/justice/?utm_source=web_social_share&medium=shared_video