Harp On It
Music is a powerful aid of expression, and it’s been that way throughout history. The ancient texts we have in Psalms are ripe with poetic imagery and help frame the human desire of communion with God. The Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120-134), for example, would be sung by travelers journeying to Jerusalem for periodic festivals. Jerusalem sits at a higher elevation than the surrounding terrain, so these pilgrims would literally ascend to the Lord both physically and spiritually.
Ancient songs are captured in various New Testament texts as well. The text of Romans 11:33-36 is one example. The hymn was composed by Paul, and its arrangement, parallel lines, and unusual vocabulary indicate a poetic genre tailored toward memorization and recitation. That’s the beauty of music; the portable power it lends to prose!
I was considering these things as I listened to a harpist yesterday. Don’t sleep on the harp. It’s a remarkable instrument! Some instruments need a supporting cast, but not the harp. Its rich, ethereal sound is described as heavenly for a reason. It is enticing and captivating. The simplicity and timelessness of the harp span millennia. It’s the first musical instrument mentioned in the Bible, all the way back in Genesis 4:21 (Lyre). Its sound has hit the human ear for thousands of years!
As I watched and listened, two equal thoughts struck me. One, the harp is an instrument that is fully exposed. You can even see through it! Everything that is used to produce those beautiful sounds is in full view. As the fingers of the harpist strode across the cords, I began to visualize the unfolding art. The cords, like colors, merge together to create something the individual notes couldn’t do alone.
This led me to a second thought. These individual cords joined together in harmonious congruity through varying degrees of tension. The variation of pitch corresponded to the amount of tension on the cord leading to the beauty of the whole.
Perhaps the harp has a way of captivating the heart because it metaphorically depicts the human heart so well. There are things that pluck the human heart and evoke a variety of emotions. Some are so painful and deep they are difficult to express. Pain creates a tension that alone feels sharp. But it isn’t wasted. There are other things that expose our hearts to indescribable joy. They relax the tensions of this world. The notes of pain and joy intermingle to make the music of our lives.
It was a richness of sound that filled the room. Tension has a way of creating beauty. The harp exposes itself to reveal the source of the music. The heart tends to be more redescent to hide, but it’s important to remember that both pain and joy make the music. God doesn’t let anything go to waste.
Without tension, we have no music.