Music And DiscipleshipSample

"Repetition and Remembrance"

The brain is an interesting thing. The left half of the brain generally is very logical and processes items in an item-by-item and step-by-step fashion. On the flip-side, the right half of the brain generally functions all-at-once, and stretches in imagination with leaps and bounds. In short, the left-brain is rational and prescriptive (narrow), whereas the right brain is experiential and descriptive (diverse). 

There is a way in which music unites the two spheres and causes our brain to work in tandem. Music helps us take very detailed and narrow theologies (precise truths) and blend them together with manifestation (expression), thus causing both sides of the brain to collide. Music can help us to learn the truths of God not only in thought but in action. Here’s how! 

Music is like biblical meditation. Let’s take for example the Jewish idea of meditation. Their view of learning biblical truth is similar to preparing a field for planting. When a farmer approaches a field for planting, it is filled with huge dirt clods that are too big and too un-fertile to create a healthy environment for seeds. To prepare the land to reap a great harvest, the farmer tills it over and over again. Finally, all the dirt clods are broken down into their smallest form, and seeds can grow and flourish.

Precise theologies, like God’s oneness, his mercy, glory, law, redemption, etc., are like giant clods of truth. They present huge concepts that need to be broken down and expressed so they can be digested, or they’ll cause someone to choke. For a seed of belief to truly implant itself in someone’s life in order to begin to grow, it needs to be broken down into its simplest form. Then it reaps a harvest. 

This is how Jesus himself would have understood the process of repetition, memory, and growing in a knowledge of the truth. To engrain truth, it must be repetitively learned and broken down. The way in which music is both repetitive, and also combines the two spheres of the brain to help with retention, is perfect to make all of these happen for the disciple. Nothing like music can help us repeat and engrain truth, and also put it into tangible expression that can serve people. All things considering, we need to think carefully about the words we put into our songs and onto our lips.