At a guess, the little girl would be about eight years old, her first year as a piano student. When she squirmed up onto the piano bench, her red patent leather shoes hung high above the floor. There was no way she could reach the pedals.
She poised one finger to hit the first note.
She followed that note with a second, and a third. And she stopped. Something wasn’t right.
She tried again. One note, another, a third. And stopped again. She didn’t know how to go on.
She froze. Afraid to make another mistake. Afraid to risk another try.
Utter silence filled the room. No one breathed. The audience – parents, grandparents, siblings, fellow students – leaned forward as one. Wishing her on, willing her unwilling fingers to continue.
The intensity was physical. The old cliché says “You could cut it with a knife.” Well, perhaps not that palpable. But there was certainly something there in that room, a presence that filled the space, a spirit that moved in waves to support the little pianist.
A parallel with prayer
I have been in many situations where people prayed. I have never felt an intensity to match that piano recital.
It was like a living thing.
I couldn’t help thinking that if those of us who still call ourselves religious could harness the same intensity in our prayers, if we could focus heart and soul through some kind of magnifying glass onto a single subject that we cared passionately about, what might we accomplish? Could we initiate peace among nations? Could we affect governments?
In her bookThe Power of Eight, author Lynne McTaggart contends that we can. Her thesis is simply that when any group of people genuinely focuses their intention on a subject, any subject, they can make a discernable difference.
Many of her examples are not earth changing – the growth of plants and seeds, the purity of water, the behaviour of laboratory mice.
But she insists that the changes are real and measurable. The technicians testing the results follow strict lab and statistical protocols. All experiments are done “double-blind,” to ensure that no one can manipulate the outcome.
Possibilities
McTaggart’s most contentious claim is that several thousand people, coordinating their intention on the civil war in Sri Lanka, influenced the two sides to commence a ceasefire.
I’m skeptical. But if several thousand people could generate the same intensity as the audience at that piano recital, I believe that anything might be possible.
And something did happen. The teacher quietly slipped onto the piano bench beside her student. She put an arm around the girl’s shoulders, gently reassuring her. With the other hand, she helped the girl find the right notes.
The first note. The second. The third. Then a fourth, a fifth, and the melody began to flow.
The little pianist struck her final note.
And the audience erupted into applause. They clapped. They cheered. They hooted. No other pianist got as much applause, not even the one who played a Chopin etude flawlessly.
You’d almost think the audience was applauding themselves, for their own contribution to the piano player’s achievement.
And maybe they were.
*****************************************
Copyright © 2018 by Jim Taylor. Non-profit use in congregations and study groups, and links from other blogs, welcomed; all other rights reserved.
To comment on this column, write jimt@quixotic.ca
*****************************************
YOUR TURN
Helen Arnott wrote about last week’s column, in which I pondered the significance of getting an email from a friend who died seven years ago, “Jim, you have a great sense of humour. We had a big chuckle from this essay! Thank you heartily!”
Paul Coffman didn’t read it as being all in fun: “I'm interested in your ideas about heaven and hell. As I (age 84) have worked my way through life being raised in a Christian faith and still participating in trying to interpret Christian faith, the ideas of heaven and hell have been very interesting. Like you, I can't believe in the Christian fundamentalist understanding of hell being a real place that God consigns people to after their death here on earth.
“People who have had near death experiences give witness to something they and I might call heaven. What do you think about those experiences?
“To me, rejecting the idea of hell as a place for spirits to inhabit doesn't necessarily mean I must reject the idea of heaven as a place for spirits to inhabit.
“Finally, I don't object to the idea of there not being a life after life on this earth. That seems to be your position. Thanks for your sharing.”
David Gilchrist shared his own convictions: “I too have long since believed that the concept of HELL contradicts the image of the Loving and Compassionate God Jesus talked about. Whether there is some existence after this life, or not, there is no way of knowing. On the one hand, if we evolved from earlier species, at what point would “soul” be introduced? Will I be greeted by all the mosquitoes and flies I’ve swatted? On the other hand, we’ve been told that we cannot imagine something that can’t exist (I remember as a teenager laughing at the idea of television -- and about three years later, seeing it in a store window!). So there may well be some continuation of the Spirit. But the common vision of Golden Streets and Pearly Gates and Mansions in the Sky simply reflect the wishes of what some people want to have on earth. I find it hard to believe that it is such a firm conviction of so many Christians -- though it is not what I see Jesus aspiring to.
“If there is no ‘Hereafter,’ I am still grateful for 90 years to enjoy the wonders and friendships of this earth. (It is strange that the older I get, the less the future concerns me; and the more important it seems to make each day count here and now.)”
Steve Roney usually has an interesting viewpoint: “Seems to me your objections to the ‘conventional myths’ of heaven and hell are based on a fundamental misunderstanding of what the Christian concepts of heaven and hell actually are.
“To begin with, neither assume ‘a God who hands out rewards and punishments.’ Neither the Catholic nor the Orthodox church assert this. It is, of course, impossible to know what all of the many Protestant churches might say. Both Catholics and Orthodox say that it is actually you who choose whether you go to heaven or hell, and not God. God wants everyone in heaven. But he is bound by divine justice, just as he is bound by the rules of logic.
“And, of course, nobody teaches that hell is a physical place underground. It is souls that go there, not bodies. It has to be a spiritual, not a physical, place.
“The fact of innocent suffering, far from being an argument against heaven or hell, is proof that they exist. If justice is ultimately to be served, there must be both a heaven and a hell after death, in which those who suffered innocently are compensated, and those who caused suffering and did not suffer for it are punished. If there is a just God, there has to be a heaven and a hell.”
*******************************************
PSALM PARAPHRASES
When I first read Psalm 89:20-37, these verses felt like a sports coach gushing over his latest protege.
20 That's my boy!
I picked him; I gave him his start.
I taught him everything he knows.
The kid can count on me.
22 No one's going to push my boy around--
no matter how big and tough they get.
23 He's like my own son;
anybody who hassles him has to deal with me first.
24 I won't let him down;
he won't ever let me down.
25 This kid is good!
Anything he sets his hand to, he can do!
26 He thinks of me as his father.
He owes it all to me, and he knows it.
27 I'm going to make him number one;
He's going to be a superstar.
28 But he's more than just a bright prospect;
I won't trade him for any other hotshot--
we have a binding non-cancellable covenant.
29 You're going to see this kid around for a long time;
he could be the greatest thing for years.
30 If he falls in with a bad crowd,
if his buddies lead him astray and he breaks the rules,
31 I'll come down on him hard.
32 I'll fine him, I'll suspend him,
I'll make him do extra practice.
33 But I won't trade him.
He's my boy.
34 I signed the contract
and I'm as good as my word.
35 When I make a promise, I keep it.
36 This kid has a great future ahead of him;
37 They'll still be talking about this kid years from now.
He's going to be a living legend!
For paraphrases of mostof the psalms used by the Revised Common Lectionary, you can order my book Everyday Psalmsfrom Wood Lake Publishing, info@woodlake.com.
*******************************************
TECHNICAL STUFF
If you want to comment on something, send a message directly to me, jimt@quixotic.ca.
To subscribe or unsubscribe, send an e-mail message to jimt@quixotic.ca. Or you can subscribe electronically by sending a blank e-mail (no message or subject line) to softedges-subscribe@lists.quixotic.ca. Similarly, you can un-subscribe at softedges-unsubscribe@lists.quixotic.ca.
I write a second column each Sunday called Sharp Edges, which tends to be somewhat more cutting about social and justice issues. To sign up for Sharp Edges, write to me directly, jimt@quixotic.ca, or send a note to sharpedges-subscribe@lists.quixotic.ca
And for those of you who like poetry, I’ve started a webpage http://quixotic.ca/My-Poetrywhere I post (occasionally, when I feel inspired) poems that I have written. If you’d like to receive notifications about new poems, write me at jimt@quixotic.ca, or subscribe yourself to the list by sending a blankemail(no message) to poetry-subscribe@lists.quixotic.ca(If it doesn’t work, please let me know.)
********************************************
PROMOTION STUFF
To use the links in this section, you’ll have to insert the necessary symbols.
Ralph Milton ’s latest project is called “Sing Hallelujah” -- the world’s first video hymnal. It consists of 100 popular hymns, both new and old, on five DVDs that can be played using a standard DVD player and TV screen, for use in congregations who lack skilled musicians to play piano or organ. More details at wwwDOTsinghallelujahDOTca
Ralph’s HymnSight webpage is still up, http://wwwDOThymnsightDOTca, with a vast gallery of photos you can use to enhance the appearance of the visual images you project for liturgical use (prayers, responses, hymn verses, etc.)
Wayne Irwin's “Churchweb Canada,”an inexpensive service for any congregation wanting to develop a web presence, with free consultation. <http://wwwDOTchurchwebcanadaDOTca>
I recommend Isabel Gibson’s thoughtful and well-written blog, wwwDOTtraditionaliconoclastDOTcom
Alva Wood’s satiric stories about incompetent bureaucrats and prejudiced attitudes in a small town -- not particularly religious, but fun; alvawoodATgmailDOTcom to get onto her mailing list.
Tom Watson writes a weekly blog called “The View from Grandpa Tom’s Balcony”-- ruminations on various subjects, and feedback from Tom’sreaders. Write him at tomwatsoATgmailDOTcom or twatsonATsentexDOTnet