Diversity or Dissension… Hello Weekend Readers. I have an interesting devotion for you today and I love the premise of it because it includes musicians, of which I have been my whole life! Musicians can be a funny lot. Ego, competition, etc. After 50 years of leading choirs, worship teams, music teaching, writing chorales, etc., I’ve seen it all. I’ve also seen myself in some of those egotistic/competitive moments-ouch!

Thankfully a wonderful pastor gave me a great lesson to use. I had a young gal who wanted so much to sing in the choir but she was completely tone-deaf. I talked to my pastor and he totally understood because he was the same way! “Does she love music?” I said very much. “What else in our church’s music could she do? Think about that and you will find the answer.” He was right, she knew she couldn’t sing on key but she just wanted to be around music. I needed a “music librarian” and you would have thought I gave her a gold nugget. What a friendship we had, and she is still working at that church with all her heart. Her heart was in Jesus and even if she couldn’t sing in a choir, her life was a song for Jesus who cared less for off-key singing! I mean, He created crows and loves their awful song!

This reminds me of Paul’s words in Colossians 2:16-17 [Message]: “So don’t put up with anyone pressuring you in details of diet, worship services, or holy days. All those things are mere shadows cast before what was to come; the substance is Christ.” That Scripture has stuck with me in my musical work and I find that diversity is awesome and dissension is nothing but division, rancor, and hurtful to people.

A few years ago, the American Psychological Association’s psychologists Jack Lipton and R. Scott Builione, presented a study where they surveyed members of 11 major symphony orchestras. They asked how each section perceived each other. “Oh this should be good” I said to myself. Here is what they found: the percussionists were viewed as unintelligent, yet quite fun-loving; the string players were seen as arrogant and stuffy; the brass players were described as loud/overbearing; and the woodwinds were viewed as quiet, meticulous, and egotistical. The psychologists wondered how these orchestras were able to make such beautiful music together! After some face-to-face sessions with them, they shared the answer: “We have to be able to put our biases aside and look first to the leadership of our conductor.” And that is actually how they could make beautiful music!

To sum this up, this reminds me of the church. Just imagine how effective the body of Christ could be in this lost world if we followed the model of these musicians? Instead of infighting about personalities, methods, worship, etc., we set aside our own bias and work together to make beautiful music for God, our Great Conductor. What a concept indeed.

Each person in church is unique, just the way God made them, and it would be sad if we decided to make carbon-copies of ourselves to force on others who may not see it our way. Our music would not be pleasing to God’s ear and sadly, it does no good for new people coming into the church seeking a church-home for their lives. Dissension doesn’t take long to divide people, and out the door they go. The question is “have they been so hurt or not cared for that they will give up finding a church at all?” That would be like an orchestra without a string section, or brass section, or…you get my drift.

Let’s face it, the church is a multi-faceted diamond; each cut of that diamond is different and reflects the diversity that our Creator God put in each and every one of us. I couldn’t imagine a church filled with carbon-copy-people—boring for sure. And what would be accomplished?

In closing, I go back to my tone-deaf-musician. What she brings to the choirs and the congregation is precious beyond words. She would bring the folders filled with just what the choir was going to sing and she always stayed to listen. When were done she would literally shout “Yahoo-that was beautiful!” Imagine, a tone-deaf musician yet truly a musician at heart. That is the diversity that we miss if we decide not to embrace others. That is the dissension we cause and it is not for the good of God’s Kingdom and the people in it and especially those who need to hear the precious Gospel of love and unity. That is the song they and all of us need to hear! AMEN.