Ears to Hear web preview

1. e rs t e r

True hearing starts in the heart. sensations we have trouble naming, connect with others in meaningful
ways, and even wrestle with God.
When Trent Reznor was in his late 20’s, he released “Hurt,” a song that
combines harshly dissonant chords, persistent static, and a clenched, By becoming aware of such possibilities–and not only becoming
anemic style of singing to depict the bleak horror of heroin addiction. aware of them, but understanding how certain configurations of notes
A few years after its release, Johnny Cash covered this song, one of the and rhythms actually help them get inside of us and do their work–we
last he ever recorded. Cash greatly simplifies the harmony and sings in can get more out of our music listening experiences, and in ways that
a steady, quiet, confessional tone that communicates remorse, grati- help us become the people we are called to be.
tude, freedom, and compassion. Reznor sings about only what he
knows from experience. Cash also bore the degrading scars of addic- In this chapter, we look at four reasons to develop “ears to hear.”
tion, yet saw them in a new context after coming to faith, and so, 1) Music can open our hearts, making us more able to hear. 2) Music
brings new insights out of the song. It’s as if Cash is saying to its young can remind us about issues in life where we need God’s direction and
composer, “You know it’s dark, son, but until you see the light, you help. 3) We often listen to music in ways that limit it to what we want it
don’t know dark from dark.” As the story goes, Reznor wept when he to do for us rather than hearing it for all it has to say. and 4) By taking
saw the video of Cash’s version, and didn’t perform “Hurt” again for practical steps to hear music more fully, we develop skills and habits
nearly a decade. that help us understand ourselves, our neighbor, and our God.

If a performer can capture, through the way he shapes his notes Music can open our hearts, making us more able to hear.
and rhythms, more of the story behind the story, can something similar Human beings like to think of ourselves as rational. We make sense of
happen on the receiving end? Does how we listen affect what we actu- this world by gathering evidence, using knowledge and probability to
ally hear? develop goals and beliefs to help us navigate through life. But too of-
ten, facts don’t line up with our deepest hopes and convictions. We’re
This is something we rarely think about. But if you’re willing, thrown for a loop; discombobulated; out of sorts; bewildered. In such
you’ll find that there’s a clear relationship between what you hope to a state, hearing the right and logical answer will feel more burdensome
experience from music and what music can do. If you merely hope to than helpful because we’re just not ready or able to deal with it. The
come away with a nice feeling from a song, that’s likely all that will problem isn’t with our heads, but our hearts: that place where reason
happen. But if you’re up for an adventure, you can see how the many and intuition can act like sworn enemies.
“natural,” “God-given” abilities of music have a way of sneaking up on
us (like grace does), helping us endure disappointment, apprehend

This is where music shows itself a great gift to mankind. Play some ceive. Music leaves us cold when we fail to truly hear it, even as we
music, and reason and intuition start dancing together like life-long sing. I can think of at least three causes.
lovers. Music has an uncanny ability to soften hearts and ignite imagi-
nations. When we hear music, we become more childlike, imaginative, First, we might not like the music. It might not be our favorite
physically relaxed, less stressed about time and responsibilities; or style. The bass guitar might be too loud. The person next to us is way
alternatively, more courageous, energized, and joyful. Everything off key. We’ve sung this same song a gazillion times. Deep down, we
seems like it suddenly makes more sense—maybe not perfect sense, recognize that it’s just as important to overcome irritation or distrac-
just more sense, which is often enough. In such a state, we are likely to tion with music at church as it is with a co-worker or family member.
be more honest with ourselves, God, and others. When we don’t, we are likely to miss things the Spirit wants us to hear.

John Giles, a famous 19th-century preacher, observed that “A song Second, we might be holding back: preoccupied, unmotivated, irri-
will outlive all sermons in the memory.” Something synergistic hap- tated, cold. We recognize that the music urges us toward joy, adora-
pens to words when they coalesce with music. Yip Harburg (who wrote tion, or contrition, but we don’t let its tunes and rhythms work on our
the words to “Over the Rainbow”) spelled out the formula: “Words minds, hearts, and bodies. Just about everybody experiences a failure
make you think a thought. Music makes you feel a feeling. A song to engage occasionally, and we make a silent vow to try harder next
makes you feel a thought.” This is a level of understanding that is hard week. Then again, some folks have convinced themselves that emo-
to reach in any other way. tional distancing is a form of piety.

Yet Harburg’s formula isn’t entirely right: music can’t “make” any- A third reason that music might fail to open our hearts to hear bet-
one do anything. As Frank Zappa pointed out, “There are more love ter is that we go too far in the other direction: craving an ultra-intense
songs than anything else. If songs could make you do something we'd spiritual encounter. This is not simply a matter of getting “too emo-
all love one another.” Or we’d all run out and buy a new car whenever tional,” as if there’s some clear cutoff point. But when a desire to expe-
an advertiser chose just the right music to make it sexier. And every rience extreme feelings becomes the main reason we sing or listen, it
single time we went to church, we’d have a deeply spiritual experience. impedes a person’s ability to hear what the music is actually saying.

Now this last “anti-proof” is a little puzzling, because unlike the This is hardly new. St. Augustine recognized that his deep attrac-
cases where we might fear manipulation, we actually go to church hop- tion to beautiful melodies could distract him from giving his full atten-
ing that the music will work its magic. We want the songs we sing and tion to the biblical text. Worried that this temptation could turn into a
hear to help us rejoice, give thanks, ponder God’s works and attributes much bigger problem, he felt inclined to banish music from church
as it renews and deepens our convictions. Yet it doesn’t always. Some altogether, and would have, had he not recognized its positive effects
folks try to blame it on the fact that “the Spirit wasn’t there that morn- on his fellow parishioners. “Through the delights of the ear, those who
ing,” but for anyone who knows scripture, this isn’t possible. The Spirit otherwise have a hard time appreciating the things of God are often
is always present. The variable is our willingness or readiness to re- stirred to devotion.” So while music’s sheer beauty or powerful emo-
tions might become ends in themselves, deflecting an encounter with

God, music can also get us to let down defenses, opening space to affirming, subtly yet assuredly, that order prevails. The sounds and
commune around issues central to the Gospel: things like connection direction of music get at truths that a song’s lyrics can’t quite reach.
with others, true freedom, lasting joy, sense in suffering, purpose in
life, courage, patience, sacrifice, empathy, and a deep sense of rest. For example, Bob Marley’s song “No Woman, Nuh Cry” recalls a
time when a group of friends, beaten down by social degradation and
But why should these great abilities of music be limited to a few political injustice drew together, sharing simple treasures like corn
hours on Sunday? meal porridge around a warming outdoor fire. Running beneath the
lyrics of each verse, we hear a repeated chord sequence that progresses
Music reminds us about issues in life where we need God’s di- in long, steady, somber strides – each musical “sentence” punctuated
rection and help. by a quick, quietly defiant shuffle-dance turnaround; joy amidst sor-
row. Then in the chorus, Marley sings the song’s title line four times in
When we consider all the areas of life that music addresses – ways that continually bring out new nuances of meaning and feeling.
which is, well, practically everything that matters to us – we soon rec- First, the tune glides down to “cry,” lingering in a low, dark area, but
ognize that each day, people turn to music for help with aspects of life then lifts to a higher, lighter place of simple resolve when the line
that rightfully fall under the custody of faith. Music offers motivation, comes back to “cry” once again. The chorus returns throughout the
peace, and joy. It can help us overcome feelings of disappointment, song, embodying the rhythms of trouble and comfort in our lives. In
stress, and fear. It can help us understand our anger or frustration. It this music, suffering isn’t hidden, nor is it “fixed” with happy
can shape and affirm our sense of who we are, provide a place of ref- thoughts; it’s embraced, something Christians seem reluctant to do.
uge, and help us transcend our sense of human limitations. The fact
that music can offer such things more quickly and readily than prayer, From my experience, many Christians tend to misunderstand
reading Scripture, or serving our neighbor begs the question: Can mu- songs like “No Woman” because we fail to hear it in the larger context
sic replace our need to turn to God? of discipleship. Betsy avoids the song because it’s “secular,” meaning
that Bob Marley doesn’t overtly affirm the Gospel as the only way to
Not when we push past the point where we start to feel better. Ra- truth. Bart puts it high on his “music for encouragement” playlist and
ther than using music to cordon off a private place to escape to when imagines that it’s Jesus singing “everything’s gonna be alright.” Brid-
we want to be alone with our thoughts and feelings, why not use the get loves to groove along with the comforting beat while she does her
direction-changing abilities of music to help us lean into the Gospel, homework but doesn’t want to know what the lyrics are (in case they’re
empathize with one other, and reimagine our place in this world? Isn’t dirty). And Brad hopes to argue for the song’s spiritual value by scrub-
that what music ultimately aims to do? Don’t people write songs be- bing the lyrics for possible theological resonances.
cause it’s such an effective way to find some level of resolution amidst
life’s encroaching insanity? Something about the way that notes and But has anyone actually heard the song?
rhythms follow in their patterns of tension and release has a way of

We often listen to music in ways that limit it to what we want it The more I make music about gratifying my own expectations, the
to do for us rather than hearing it for all it has to say. more I diminish it. And the more I diminish myself. Each piece of mu-
sic offers a chance to be moved, to reconsider assumptions, to hear
Each person described above has an agenda that thwarts true someone else’s story. Sometimes this happens, and powerfully so. But
hearing. Full disclosure. For most of my life, I had one, too. I found at the other extreme, we are also known to make music all about our-
reggae music too slow, simple, and repetitive to be worth my time, so selves: using music as a dim soundtrack that provides just the right
whenever “No Woman, Nuh Cry” came on, I’d tune it out as just anoth- mood for our own egotistical daydreams. And then there’s everything
er pot-influenced party song. If that weren’t bad enough, my entirely- in the middle. Think of the last three pieces of music you listened to
uninformed impression of it was so superficial that I actually thought (likely within the last hour or so). Where do they fit on the following
it was a song about not having a girlfriend. I say this to admit that eve- continuum?
rything I’m writing here applies to me, too. What got me to open my
ears? My ongoing research for this project. As one who frequently asks listening on my terms hearing the music for all it has to offer
everyone about music they listen to, I was surprised when several peo-
ple I know named “No Woman” as a song gives them hope. Two men- The same holds true for my relationships with other people. I need
tioned the guitar solo in particular. So I listened again. Many times. to be careful not to “use” others for what they can do for me rather
Today, I find myself deeply moved by music I couldn’t hear for over than appreciating them for who they really are.
thirty years.
The theme of slective hearing might remind you of a time or two
I err when I listen only for what I want music to do for me; I move when your mother would scold, “You’re hearing what I’m saying, but
in grace when I believe that music speaks of things bigger than myself. you’re not listening!” And she was right: sound waves can hit both
One way to prevent listening to music from becoming an exercise in eardrums without triggering any level of conscious recognition. In fact,
narcissism is to continually ask a simple question: How does this song this very thing is happening right now as you read this paragraph.
open me up to something bigger than the feelings I get when listening Stop. Listen to all the sounds around you. Well done! You’ve just shift-
to it? C.S. Lewis issues a similar challenge in a little book called An ed from “just hearing” to “really listening.” Good listening is a result of
Experiment in Criticism. practice and a mark of good character.
Good hearing simply means that a
The man who is contented to be only himself, and therefore person’s ears function especially well
less than a self, is in a prison. My own eyes are not enough – that there’s nothing impeding the
for me, I will see through those of others… In reading great physioacoustic response initiated by
literature I become a thousand men and yet remain myself... vibratory changes in air pressure on
Here, as in worship, in love, in moral action, and in knowing, eardrums.
I transcend myself; and am never more myself than when I
do.

But there’s another level where hearing trumps listening. When I The moral of this story? Not everyone who shows enthusiasm
ask, “Are you listening to me?” I’m calling for your attention. But when about the Gospel ends up being a faithful, fruitful disciple. This runs
I ask “Do you hear what I’m saying?” I’m hoping for your heart. I don’t counter to the wisdom of our age which sees passion as the key to suc-
care if you can repeat back to me what I just said. What I really want to cess in everything. Most would say that what makes the “good soil”
know is whether or not you get what I’m trying to tell you. good is that it receives the seed with passion. And most would be
wrong.
Just hearing is simply a matter of acoustics and physiology. Really
listening requires effort – paying attention. Truly hearing means that When Jesus explains the parable to his disciples, we find that the
we get what a person is saying to us. True hearing starts in the heart. “good soil” (the good heart) is marked by habits, not hype. “But as for
The connection between the heart and the ears is a recurring theme the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who hear the word and:
throughout the Bible. There’s nothing touchy-feely about it.
receive it understand it hold it fast
You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; [Mark 4.20] [Matthew 13.23] [Luke 8.15]
You will keep on seeing, but will not perceive;
For the heart of this people has become dull, When I first noticed that each Gospel writer quoted a different
And with their ears they scarcely hear. [Isaiah 6.9; Matt 13.15] verb, I didn’t quite know what to think. But then I noticed a correlation
between each soil type and the heart habit that undid it. The soil on
We don’t hear, not because we can’t, but because our hearts are the pathway is too hard-packed to “receive” the seed. The soil among
“dull” (also translated fat, lazy, calloused, insensitive, or hard). We the rocks is too thin for the roots to “understand” – to get a deep
don’t hear because we don’t care. Or we think we already hear just fine, enough grasp on the dirt. The soil filled with thorny brush makes it
thank you. This is what Jesus illustrates in the “Parable of the Soils.” difficult for new seed to “hold fast” long enough to grow into anything
useful.
Jesus got into a boat and sat down, then spoke to the large
crowd gathered on the seashore, “A farmer went out to sow his That last one, “hold fast” needs a bit of breaking down if we hope
seed. As he was scattering, some fell along the road, and was to turn it into a habit for hearing. It carries the sense of hanging on to a
trampled underfoot. The birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on long-term promise or vision in spite of hardships, delay, or temptation.
rocky places, where there was only a little soil. It sprang up How can we make this practical? Here, I find that it’s helpful to identi-
quickly, but when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, fy two stages: first, to recognize what’s being said in the context of my
and they withered because they had no roots. Other seed fell own life; and also, to make sure to appreciate the full value of what is
among thorns, which grew up next to the plants and choked being offered. So a somewhat modified version of the characteristic
them, so that they never bore fruit. Still other seed fell on good habits of the good soil looks like this:
soil. It sprouted and grew, producing an abundant crop – mul-
tiplying thirty, sixty, even a hundred times.” Then Jesus said to
them, “To him who has ears, let him hear!” [Matthew 13.1-9]

hold it fast ments when we’re too preoccupied, stressed, worn out, and disorient-
ed to take him seriously. This is the perfect opportunity for music,
receive understand apply cherish which has a way of sneaking up on us, into us, making us more sug-
R U gestible, childlike, as it gets us to consider our deepest concerns from a
A CH totally new and non-threatening vantage point.

The acronym “RUACH” spells the Hebrew name for the Holy Spirit, Here is a brief overview that shows how the habits in RUACH can
a good reminder that opening our ears is not entirely up to us. We find make a difference in the way we encounter music, and that in so doing,
the same encouragement veiled in the very curious ending to the soils will open our ears to the rest of life, as well.
parable – “To him who has ears, let him hear!” This same saying ap-
pears elsewhere in the Gospels and Revelation, it can feel like a re- Receive. A common misconception about receiving is that it means
proach. Not here. Here I hear the words of a wise and caring coach taking a passive role. The giver does all the work, the receiver just
reminding me that every time I actually listen deeply – to conversa- basks. But there’s nothing passive about receiving. An athlete re-
tions, to sermons, to rain on the rooftop – things turn out far better ceives a catch when he gets in position and anticipates exactly
than when I don’t. If life is enriched by true hearing, it’s diminished by where and when the ball will arrive. Hosts receive guests when we
distraction and disinterest. “Let him hear!” is a challenge to stop mak- meet them at the door with a warm welcome. A radio receives a sig-
ing excuses – to stop filtering out everything we don’t feel like consid- nal when it’s precisely tuned to the right frequency. Going further,
ering – the new, difficult, uncomfortable, or unknown. ask yourself what it means to receive a gift? help? correction? praise?

But that’s not all. “Let him hear” is also an invitation—an offer to In this light, the most common advice for listening—to “just be
heal and restore all that’s been broken, misaligned, misdirected—is- open”—falls short because it fails to indicate what to listen for. The rest
sued in the same lightning-bolt voice of creation: calling forth order of this book explores dozens of things that are likely to be contained in
from the muddled, undulating swirl of unrestraint; the voice that still music, and dozens more things that music might do within us as we
speaks now to the lingering, chaotic forces that garble up our hearing: listen. Simply by becoming aware of such things, we become more
hearing each other, hearing music, hearing the Spirit. alert – more ready to receive them in the music we hear.

By taking practical steps to hear music more fully, we develop I can illustrate this by going back to my history with “No Woman,
skills and habits that help us understand ourselves, our neigh- Nuh Cry.” The first umpteen times I’d “heard” the song, I thought I was
bor, and our God. being open to it—letting it move me or say whatever it wanted to. My
I’d like to spend the rest of the chapter looking at ways to make these lack of engagement came from thinking that I already knew what it
habits practical – so practical that we apply them not only to listening was about, and I didn’t believe that the song held anything of value.
to the word of God, but to all of life, including music. God is the sower
in the parable – “haphazardly” casting reminders of his challenges It would be misleading, though, to say that “just being open” never
and promises into the inopportune situations of everyday life: mo- works. Music is powerful stuff, and we often get a lot out of it without

even trying. But consider an analogy. Anybody can get quite a lot out of with the Spirit, music not only helps us regain ears to hear, but eyes to
an excellent sermon. But to get a lot out of a mediocre sermon, I need see, and hearts to feel. (Again, more on this later.)
to believe that it holds something for me – something I need to receive
and consider. I’d be remiss to let the fact that the preacher is having an In aiming to understand a piece of music, then, we use our senses
off day ruin that. to discover its details, then put them in a context that helps us to inter-
pret why and how they matter.
And the same holds true for everything I hear. Remember that God
not only uses scripture to reshape us; he “speaks” through trials, rela- Apply. Try this. Next time a friend begins telling you something that
tionships, the inspiring grandeur and mind-boggling intricacy of the matters to him, freeze: no facial recognition; no “mm-hmms,” no
creation, other people’s testimonies, prayer, and so on. “uh-huhs.” See how long it takes your friend to sputter to a stop.

To receive, then, requires expectation. I believe that there is some- God made us responsive creatures. When we hear other humans
thing I need to hear; and so I watch for it. express themselves, we “resonate”: we connect with their feelings and
ideas; or when we don't, we have the courtesy to hide it.
Understand. We view understanding as a mental process: observ-
ing, identifying, categorizing, venturing predictions, drawing con- With some music, it’s enough to just enjoy their sounds and ener-
clusions. Rational thinking has its place in music, and we’ll focus on gies without trying to figure out what the music might be “saying.” As
this in Part II of this book where we’ll introduce various musical el- we’ll see in the next two chapters, a great deal of music is composed to
ements and show how musicians manipulate them to create certain “use”: to help us exercise, do menial tasks, relax, march in formation,
effects. But even as we make conscious observations, we take in a and so on. But even here, a musician often hopes to convey something
great many things subconsciously: we perceive both subtle and ex- that matters. We’re just not ready to consider, to relate, to apply.
treme changes in pitch and volume without stopping to analyze
them—just as we subconsciously interpret the unspoken cues in a We all drop the ball here. I hear a sermon that offers direction and
conversation. Make no mistake: when we listen to someone speak, grace for a problem I’m facing, yet I fail to act on my new understand-
her tone and rhythm give a good sense of her attitudes and convic- ing. Or I leaf through my Bible and find underlined verses and notes in
tions. That “tone” is the very stuff of music. And human beings un- the margin – evidence of things that the Spirit had quickened within
derstand it in or bones. me. Doesn’t the Spirit also quicken me when I listen to music? I reso-
nate with a song that reminds me that I tend to make too big a deal out
It’s unfortunate that we are so suspicious of the role of our senses of things, yet when it’s over, I go back to being stressed and cranky for
play in understanding our world and God’s kingdom. We read in He- the rest of the afternoon. Another song reminds me of a loved one who
brews 5.14 that “solid food is for the mature, who because of practice needs a shoulder to lean on, and even gives me hope that my words
have their senses trained to discern good and evil.” Working in tandem might help, yet I neglect to make a phone call.

Alanis Morissette said that “Music helps you find the truths you
must bring into the rest of your life.” I agree, mostly. “Sense the truths”

seems more accurate. This might include specific actions like the ones A summary
in the previous paragraph, but more importantly, music restores a Let’s reassemble some of the main ideas from this chapter, starting
sense for why things matter. Of all the reasons that God gave us music, at the end and working back. In the “Parable of the Soils,” Jesus il-
this may be its most underutilized ability, and one we’ll explore quite lustrates that the new kingdom calls for an entirely new mode of
intently throughout this book. hearing: hearing with one’s heart. As a good teacher, he offers prac-
tical ways to adjust our heart attitude so we can begin to truly hear
To apply as we hear means that we connect with the concerns em- what someone is trying to tell us, whether it be through words or
bodied within the music, and respond. music. We’ve summarized them as follows:

Cherish. Every day, we hear so many words, sounds, noises, and mu- RU A CH
sic that it all quickly becomes static; we don’t even recognize our-
selves tuning in and tuning out. Music interrupts life by slowing receive understand apply cherish
down time. Even in a fast song, lyrics that take but a few seconds to
speak might well take three minutes to sing. Entire compositions believe & watch discover & interpret connect & respond wonder & hang on
have been based on a single word; Alleluia, for example. The point is
that something in the nature of music requires that we slow down to These new habits call us to be bigger than ourselves by turning our
ponder, empathize, sense, and wonder. Music invites us to imagine attention outward; dropping our guard—with each other and the Holy
something beyond what we experience in “the real world.” Spirit. This becomes a challenge us to keep listening to songs we’d
normally turn off after three seconds; to reconsider music we think we
And though T.S. Eliot was right when he said that “You are the mu- know; to let our stubborn hearts be moved. Music itself is especially
sic while the music lasts,” Morisette may be even more so. We can car- valuable here, not primarily because of the specific topics it raises, but
ry a sense of musical truth into real life. “The Lord is my strength and how it somehow manages to help us reckon what we know with what
my song. He has become my salvation.” Throughout this book, we’ll we sense. Music can renew a sense of hope, gently but firmly indicat-
see many ways in which these things are tied together. ing exactly where we need to change direction; what we need to lean
into and move away from. By becoming aware of the various ways that
Each time we hear a piece, we’re in a different place in life. To this might happen—and not only becoming aware of them, but under-
cherish means to wonder anew each time we listen. The music’s essen- standing how certain configurations of notes and rhythms get inside of
tial messages don’t change; but repeated hearings seem new again as us and do this astounding work–we can get more out of our music
we change, and the music changes us. When we hang on to our sense listening experiences, and in ways that help us become the people we
of what we hear, uniting it with faith so that it might become our are called to be. For in the end, it turns out that what we expect to
strength and our song – we find comfort and courage to serve God and happen when we listen has a great impact on what we come away
neighbor. with. So let’s keep going!