The Sound of Truth

I compose music and I’m working on a Cantata… and one thing I’ve learned through the process is that all the most beautiful and wonderful music in the world combined is not as beautiful as the sound of truth, especially present truth. There is no physical bell that can ever be as wonderful to the ears, as the experience of being set free at conversion is to a person’s heart and mind, being emancipated from sin, the bell of freedom resounding in a person’s spirit. But the sounds of music can be used to draw our minds to these deeper truths, and this is their purpose. One can write a song about how God has set us free, and include a bell, and every time the person hears the bell it will stirr their spirit to gratitude and joy, drawing their mind to the sacrifice He made for them.

When beautiful music does not contain the truth about our world, about God, about the fall of man and the reason there is so much evil in this world, about morality and virtue, about the purpose of human beings, about the way to redemption and purpose and eternal life, it holds no real power to set free. In fact, lyrics and messages that tell falsehoods have a corrupting influence. The Bible refers to the thoughts we think, actions we do, including the art we create when done with a selfish purpose, as being clanging symbols. But when music and art tell the truth about these things, then the person experiences more than just a comforting or stirring sound that works superficially on their emotions. They come in contact withe hope, with the glorious reality and purpose God has given us in Christ. A way out of the darkness and corruption of their fallen nature. Answers to all the big life questions. People’s characters and destinies are transformed for the better when they behold and delight in God’s truth.

There is nothing more wonderful than truth. This is why the purpose of art is to serve truth; the physical beauty and symmetry of a painting, or the musical beauty of a touching piece of music are real-world experiences and “witnesses” that point to and remind us of the infinitely greater beauty of God’s character and nature and Being, and his desire as the Master Artist to recreate us into His image and save us from the corruption of sin.

We ought to write about truth, make music about it, love it, share it, and be inspired by it. When love for truth exists in someone’s heart they will express it, and artistic expression is such a core component of what makes us human, so when we love something we will make art about it in some way, shape, or form.