Volume
On any given weekend, you’ll likely find Alex and I on the patio with a cold drink. Odds are, we are jammin’ to the Lumineers. Living in a tightly built housing neighborhood, we need to be careful about the volume of our music being too loud. It often takes some testing, but we eventually find that sweet spot on the volume dial. The music is loud enough to enjoy, while soft enough to not annoy the neighbors. I’m constantly asking the question, “do you think others can hear this music?”
Music exists whether you hear it or not. This is why debating the existence of God is nonsensical. Someone may not be hearing the music, but it still exists. The presence of God in our life is like a volume dial, it can be turned up and it can be turned down. Some people may find it difficult to hear the music. Other people might have no problem hearing the music, but for whatever reason, they let the music turn them into crotchety and disgruntled neighbors.
There are two important questions. One, do you hear the music of a loving God? And two, does the music of a loving God lead you to dance? By dancing, I don’t mean a disingenuous phony kind of dancing. God is not interested in a facade of happiness that ignores the problems that we face. No, God is interested in truthfully joyful hearts. God’s music must authentically move us. Together, we dance for the love of our neighbor and for the love of creation. Because we love life, we want abundant life for all people.
If you’re having trouble hearing the music, then turn up the volume. If you hear the music, then start to dance. The most important part of Lamb of God’s mission statement is to be “joyfully Christian.” Joy is about finding meaningful fulfillment though the service of others. Joy is about equality, a shared vision of human worth. To be filled with joy is to work for joy all around us.
Dear Church, many people are working backward from our conclusion. If Christians are bitter and angry, then Christianity must be corrosive. If Christians fail to preach God’s love for all people, then Christianity must be self-righteous. If Christians do not stand for justice, then Christianity must be a tool of oppression. I, for one, am not giving up on the Church. By “Church” I mean… a community people coming together to share the Gospel and strive to live a Christ-inspired life. We are coming together to dance to God’s music!
When we turn the volume up, God inspires us to move. This is God’s dance floor. God invites us to shed our fears, strip away our reluctance, and caste aside all that prevents us from loving one another. We are reminded that, “weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5).
Crankin’ the music!
Pastor Lucas
Photo by Dave Weatherall