I’ve read the Bible. The entire Bible, from “In the Beginning,” to “It’s gonna get crazy up in here!” (Not a direct translation.)
And I’m almost positive that what I’m going to talk about today is not covered anywhere in the text. I say “almost” because it might have been hidden in a bag of “begets,” e.g. “Obadiah beget Hebekiah beget …” If it was, I might have missed it.
But I’m pretty sure the Bible doesn’t directly address how we should show grace to a friend who talks during the song you asked them to listen to.
Has this ever happened to you?
You hear a song that you think is amazing. It’s almost like they wrote the song specifically for you. The lyrics tumble out like a mason jar of marbles down the stairs. Birds clap their tiny wings in appreciation when they hear it wafting out of your open car windows. This is a song to end all songs.
So you, being the generous sort, decide to share it with a friend. You’re a giver. That’s what you do. While at a stoplight or running an errand with a friend across town, you turn the song on for them. But you don’t just turn it on, you give a short monologue about what the song means to you first. You explain the nuances, the hidden instruments that are going to spring forth like an unexpected bit of cilantro or caper in a pasta dish.
You paint such a beautiful picture of the audio rollercoaster your friend is about to go on that you almost feel like someone should write a song about your description of the song.
Then you press play.
And they listen for about 4.2 seconds and say, “That was great. So anyway, I’ve been eating more burritos lately…”
Wait, what? The lyrics haven’t even started yet. We are miles away from the chorus. The verse that you just know your friend is going to love is being ignored while they play Angry Birds.
You stop the song, give them a brief minute to finish their burrito thought, and then start all over. Maybe, this time, they will give the musical magic a runway to land on. Maybe, this time, they won’t walk all over the moment they could be experiencing.
But they do. Again and again you try to get them to not just “hear” the song, but really “listen.” You want that song to go from their head to their heart and then hopefully their own iPhone.
It’s not, though. Try as you might, they are refusing to experience the audio landscape that is Sigur Ros or Explosions in the Sky or any other band you are in love with at the moment.
We must show grace in that moment. Surely we must, but how? What would Jesus do? What, when confronted with the inability of Peter to stay still for 30 seconds and hear a song, would Jesus do?
We might never know. Maybe someone who is familiar with the Hebrew and Greek can enlighten us.
Until then, struggle on audiophile.
Keep pressing play.
Question:
Has this ever happened to you?
