In Harmony With God
When we hear our favorite song, we enjoy a good interpretation of the original that is already in our memory. Because of the huge number of musical composers, styles and singers, it is not easy to find some pieces that fill up our expectations. Personally, I like different kinds of classical music that is in harmony with my concept of beauty. Some musicians can play an arrangement that is technically correct but does not have the original feeling.
In our Christian spiritual lives, there happens something similar when somebody is or isn’t in harmony with God. Our Lord has a message and a purpose for each one that is written in the Scriptures, and we are the interpreters through whom it is reflected through our lives and works. As the musician has spectators in the concert hall, we also have spectators watching us. And above all, God judges us as to whether or not we are in tune.
Apostle Paul, in the epistle to Philemon and Timothy, wrote about one of his disciples, complaining, “For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.” (2 Timothy 4:10ª ESV) Demas was attracted by the values and pleasures of the world, leaving God’s family. A musician would say that Demas started playing God’s melody out of tune. We can say that he broke the spiritual harmony he had with God and Paul and loved the world in an inadmissible way.
Christians have two ways in which to love the world: One way is to love the world as it was created, with all its natural and harmonious beauty, and express that beauty through art, music, literature etc. using the Gifts that the Holy Spirit gives to each one, and offering them in service to God. It is one of the possibilities with which to confront the Devil.
The other way to love the world is the way Demas chose, and is very common today. This way is not serving God but loving the carnal pleasures through spiritual corruption, and that is in opposition to fighting for justice, morality and equality with love for others. We need to acknowledge that our life’s purpose is to be in tune with God and keeping harmony in society. Our prayers have to be united by the strength of our faith in God in order to continue the work that Jesus Christ gave us in the Great Commission.
Everyone has different gifts or talents that are tools in our work of building God’s Kingdom on Earth. Our Lord gave to us the score and we all need to play it the best we can, because it is important to be in tune and harmony with His message, and the only way is by reading and learning the Word.
