Music is Silence??

So, I might be changing my mind. I love music. My world is filled with music. There is classical, jazz, rock n roll, obscure indie music and old country music. I love blues, instrumental, choral, organ and marching band music. (I might make an exception for accordion music.) Billy Preston wrote a song in the 70's that sums up my philosophy on it perfectly, "Music is My Life."

But we have a problem in the technological, gadget oriented west of the 21st century. We are surrounded by noise. We have radios in our cars to keep us company when we drive. We have radios, stereos, televisions in every room of our homes so that we never have to be alone. Now we put plugs in our ears so that we can hear our music without bothering anyone else. This can be a problem.

Sometimes we fill our lives with noise so that we are not reminded that we are alone. We develop pseudo-communities with tv and music personalities to hide- from ourselves usually- that we are really very lonely. Somehow we equate noise with activity, activity with production and production with value. Therefore, I am of more value if I have or make noise (including music).

Sometimes we fill our lives with noise so that we will not be afraid. When it is too quiet we hear animals, wind noises and building squeaks and groans. Everyone know that monsters only come when you are alone, and lonely, and quiet.

But sometimes, and more dangerously, we fill our lives with noise so that we do not have to listen to God's voice. We do not want to hear what God has to say. We do not want Him messing up our world. As soon as God starts talking, and when I get to listening, things will change. If things change then I will lose my comfort and security, at least for a time.

Here is what I am saying: Be quiet. Let everything around you be quiet. Embrace being alone. Learn to listen to what the world- and more importantly, God- is trying to say to you.

Enjoy your music all the time. But remember that sometimes music is silent, and silence is music.