Making Music with What Remains
It is easy to see tension in our nation and the world today and view people on the other side as “the enemy.” Whether it be people of other nationalities or religious groups, people who are politically “conservative” or “liberal,” those who hold some ideology that we find threatening etc., etc. No matter who you are and who you think “they” are…they are not the enemy. They, like each of us, are victims of the enemy.
The overt attempt to destroy all that God created, everything good that God intends for humanity, to divide humanity into classes and races… us versus them. All of this is clearly the effort of the real enemy – the one who has battled for eternity against what God designed and desires.
It seems hopeless; but I don’t believe it is. We must first recognize that all of us are equal when it comes to our egocentric tendencies. Romans 3:9 reminds us that each of us is under the power of sin. Secondly, Jesus emboldens us to “…love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you…” (Luke 6:27-28). This is certainly far easier to talk about than to carry out. Only by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit within us is this even remotely possible.
I do believe, however, that there is something we can all be doing that cracks us open and allows the Holy Spirit to have full access to grow us into the likeness of Jesus. We need to be intentional about putting ourselves in the presence of our (perceived) enemies, including the people whom we fear, mistrust, or desire to control in some way. It is difficult to share a meal with someone, hear their story, begin to understand their perspective, discover the places where they are hurt and broken and yet still hold them in contempt. As trust and friendship develops, the walls of separation crumble and we are able to recognize the work of the true enemy in our midst.
There is a story of a famous violinist who contracted polio as a child. As a result, he had to wear metal braces and walk with crutches. On one occasion he struggled as usual to come out on stage to perform at a concert. As he tuned his instrument, one of the strings broke. The audience expected him to send for a replacement but instead he finished tuning the remaining strings and then signaled to the conductor that he was ready. He proceeded to play the entire concerto on only three strings. At the end of the performance, he was given a standing ovation and asked to speak. It is said that his speech consisted of one sentence, “Our task is to make music with what remains.” That was a comment on more than a broken string. It was a comment on his experience with polio and all that was apparently broken in life.[1]
Yes, there is brokenness, which is easy to see, both within us and outside of us. What can we do? Don’t withdraw. Don’t wait for things to get better before venturing out. Let’s join together, with the grace of God, to start making music with what remains.
[1] Sacks, Jonathan. To Heal a Fractured World: The Ethics of Responsibility. Schocken Books, 2007. P. 222
Subscribe to the Mission Outreach Blog and be the first to read our bi-weekly updates.
Dan Kreiss, RPC’s new Associate Pastor for Mission Outreach, brings with him a heart for service and a diverse array of experiences in the mission field. Be sure to subscribe to the Mission Outreach Blog to read and follow along as he documents his personal journey and shares his vision for RPC’s mission outreach commitment. Along with providing meaningful resources, this blog will help jumpstart the important conversations our church community must be having about missional living.
Dan Kreiss
Rev. Dr. Dan Kreiss is the Associate Pastor for Mission Outreach at RPC. Dan is particularly passionate about encouraging the church to reflect the diversity found in its surrounding community in regard to age, gender, ethnicity, education and economic status.