BABINC Homepage Articles & Books Andy's Index
In my 5/21/05 blog I wrote about my desire to be a professional
pianist. The Lord had other plans. But I have fond memories of
playing the piano in a dance band.
Whenever we were going to play a gig, it was my responsibility to
give the band a B-Flat on the piano to get their instruments tuned
up. Of course, if we were an orchestra with strings, we would tune
up to A (that being an open string).
Beautiful music requires a band that's in tune. But why did we tune
to the B-Flat on the piano? It's the way brass and woodwind
instruments are made. They are B-Flat instruments. This means that
when they match the piano's B-Flat, they are in tune. Each
instrument can, and must, make adjustments until it is in tune with
the piano. There is no debate as to what it means to be in tune
with each other. There is a fundamental point of agreement.
B-Flat!
I thought of this while listening to the news today. I finally got
tired of hearing the cacaphony of reporters and talking heads with
their "fair and balanced debate" over the president's speech on the
war against terrorism. I don't know if it's just because I'm
getting old, but the sound seems to be getting more and more out of
tune.
American culture has the idea that truth is relative. If that is
so, there's no such thing as being in tune with each other on the
basis of fact. It's almost as though the greater the dissonance,
the greater the evidence that we're making beautiful music!
Ah, but I have not given up hope. Paul, writing to the
Thessalonians about the second coming of Christ, prays for Jesus
Christ to encourage them.
The day* is coming when The Maestro will finally stop this noise.
When He is done with His foes at Armageddon, He will put this
dissonant world in tune. I see Him step on stage, call for silence,
and say, "Piano, B-Flat please."
*2 Thessalonians 2:1-17
# # #