Lent with the Early Church Fathers Day 8

Day 8

Lent with the Early Church Fathers

A daily post from Tom Bandy

Based on Day by Day with the Early Church Fathers (Eds. Christopher D. Hudson, J. Alan Sharrer, and Lindsay Vanker: Hendrickson Press, 1999) 

Soul Music 

Chrysostom 

Let us allow Christ to speak through us. He desires it more than we do. For he made this instrument and would not want it to be useless and idle. He always wants to keep it in his hands. Why, then, don’t you make it useful for the maker’s hand? Why do you allow your soul to be unstrung, relaxed through luxury, and allow the whole harp to be useless to him? You should keep all its parts completely stretched, well strung, and reinforced with spiritual salt. For if Christ sees your soul tuned this way, he will make his music through it. When this has taken place, you will see angels leaping for joy (archangels and the cherubim too).  

So then, let us become worthy of his spotless hands. Let us invite him to strike our hearts. Rather, he doesn’t need inviting! If you make it worthy of his touch, he will be the first to run to you. Considering that he runs to those who have yet to become their best, when he sees one completely equipped, what won’t he do? If Christ makes music and the Spirit rests on us, we will be better than heaven. Although we won’t have the sun and the moon adorning our body, the Lord of the sun, moon, and angels will be dwelling and walking in us. 

TGB: In our technological age, Christians tend to think of themselves as “tools” in God’s hands. But in more ancient times, Christian thought of themselves as “musical instruments” in God’s hands. The “tool” is used to do good stuff. The “musical instrument” is used transform our experience of reality.