Tuning To The Standard
I was a musician for several years. In Junior High School and High School I
enjoyed some achievement playing a trumpet. I played in the Fort Smith Symphony
for two seasons, then served in the Army Band for about three years. In those
days, musicians would tune with a device called a tuning fork (the predecessor
of the pitch pipe and the new digital devices). The conductor of the orchestra
or band would strike the tuning fork with his hand, and let a clarinet player or
violin player tune to that standard. Once the musician tuned his instrument to
the tuning fork, the rest of us would listen to that note and tune our
instruments accordingly. Today, if you attend an orchestral performance (and you
get there a little early), you may hear the piano player striking a note like
“C,” and all the musicians listening, then tuning to that note (up or down).
In this process, do you realize the tuning fork was the standard of authority
and therefore unity.
Can you imagine the unmusical results if the conductor said to his musicians:
“For tonight’s performance, we will not be using a tuning fork. It will be our
purpose to illustrate the beauty of individuality and diversity. You find your
own “C” according to your own desires, or tune to a neighbor if you like. We do
not want anyone to be stifled or limited by the authority of a single standard.
We will perform tonight without tuning to a standard.” What do you think the
performance would sound like? What would the reviews say?
But why not take it further (this suppression of authority and exaltation of
individualism)? The conductor says, “each one of you can play your favorite
piece; ready, 1, 2, 3 …”
But you know what, the very presence of a conductor requires submission to
leadership. Fire the conductor. Let the musicians show up whenever they want to,
play whatever instrument they want, whatever piece they like, in tune or out of
tune; and let them start and finish whenever they desire. Let individualism
prevail and authority die.
What has happened? You have nothing left of any musical value. No authority,
just unattractive chaos that nobody would wants to hear. It would sound awful!
Yet this is exactly what we observe in modern religion today. There is
resistance to Bible authority, praise for human plurality, unity in diversity
and the growing deception that this is what God wants!
“We ought to obey God rather than men,” (Acts
5:29).
By Warren E. Berkley
The Final Page
From Expository Files 12.6; June 2005
