TUNED

PRACTICE: Who/what do you listen to, to insure life is properly pitched and in tune (balanced).

Until a few years ago, I thought the practice of an orchestra’s first violinist coming to center stage, playing a note, then joined by the rest of the orchestra, was purely perfunctory. After all, why would well trained, professional musicians wait until just before the performance to tune their instrument. Then I thought the practice was to alert the audience to settle down and announce the entrance of the conductor. Turns out that I was wrong. I was never in an orchestra. Oh, and I have always thought that the orchestra was tuned to the first violinist. Turns out that’s wrong too.

Orchestras tune to a very particular frequency, played by the oboist. Why the oboe? The oboe is thought to be the instrument least affected by humidity and weather. When the first chair violinist enters, they nod to the oboist who plays the note. The violinist like the rest of the orchestra tune to that note.

Individually each player has tuned and prepared to play. Tuning to a single pitch in the same space provides the best possible environment for perfect harmony and sound. The oboe under the direction of the second in command lays the final groundwork for the concertmaster. The concertmaster is then able to singly focus on leading the orchestra to produce the best music possible.

Do you see yourself in the example? Left to ourselves, we tune one part of our life to the pitch that we hear from within. We tune another part from the voices we hear from outside. Another part is left untuned. Ultimately life can become an out of tune orchestra producing music but not so beautiful.

There is nothing wrong with listening to the pitch from within and playing beautiful music as a solo. Unless you live as a hermit, you don’t get to live a solo life. There is family and community. For life to be lived fully and to produce beautiful melodies, we need to be tuned to that which is stable and not affected by the many whims of the world. We all need an oboist, a first chair violinist and a conductor to produce the beautiful music for which we were created to make.

John 14:6

PONDER THIS THOUGHT – I most often find myself needing the oboe, violin or conductor when my life is out of sorts.