Music

Apparently one of the oldest musical instruments to be discovered dates back 40,000 years and has been found on three separate continents.  Its a set of rocks which can be hit with another rock to make different sounds - a stone xylophone if you will.  Almost as ancient are the hollowed out bones with holes drilled in them which have been discovered all over the place indicating that people were making music long before they were doing most other things.  Like living in houses or farming or writing or pretty much anything else.  

Why?  Most things people do are done for some practical reason.  Our ancestors developed skills in order to either defend themselves, grow more or better food, or make life more comfortable in some way.  But the playing of music and the making of musical instruments does nothing 'useful'.  The only use I can think of for making music might be the singing of a mother to soothe her child.  Or possibly the chanting of something by an army as they go into battle.   But how did we get from those basic vocal sounds to the likes of Mozart and Handel and Pink Floyd?   The evolutionary theorists posit that music provides social cohesion and some cognitive advantage.  But the arguments, to me, seem somewhat feeble.  There really doesnt appear to be any evolutionary advantage to being musical or making music. Animals use sound to attract a mate or to warn of danger.  We dont need singing to do either of those things.  So why are we not only vaguely tuneful, but outrageously, extravagantly, Hallelujah Chorus -type musical?   Scientifically it doesnt really make much sense.

I'd like to propose that we are musical because we are made in the image of God.  And God is musical.

God sings ( Zeph 3:16)   the angels ( or stars ) sing ( Job 38:6-7)  there is singing round the throne of God ( Rev 5:8-10) and those who survive the tribulation will play harps given to them by God whilst singing (Rev 15:2-4)   Angels sang at the birth of Jesus and Jesus sang ( Matt 26:30, Mark 14:26, Heb 2:12) 

I wonder why the God who speaks things into being and who is called THE WORD, needs to sing.  Or wants to sing.  Surely His spoken voice is able to do everything that is needed.  Maybe the reason God sings as well as speaks is something to do with the beauty of music and the joy it communicates and the places it reaches in our spirits.  Its a mystery and I have no idea of the answers to these questions Im throwing out here.  Im just thinking aloud.  But I do believe that the amazing capacity we human beings have for creating the most wonderful, complex, exhilarating musical compositions has spiritual roots and reasons.   Something spiritual, emotional and physical happens to me when I sing with my whole heart.  Or when I play an instrument as an offering of worship.  And especially when I am in a community of others all singing or playing.  You only need to watch a football match or a pop concert to see the effect that corporate singing has.  It makes grown men cry.  It makes people love each other that extra bit more.  It has been proven to be really good for our physical and mental wellbeing.

We need music.  We need to sing and to praise and to clap and dance.  It is what we were made to do.  So this Palm Sunday rejoice - sing your heart out,  dance round the kitchen, play air guitar to your favourite song, and when you are doing it be thankful for the joy that music brings and look forward to heaven where so many of the brilliant musicians of history will all be jamming with the angels and the heavenly choir.  Can't wait!