A More Beautiful Song

Indulge me in a little Greek story.

               Once upon a time there was an island on the coast of Greece. On this island lived many beautiful sirens, who were mythical mermaid women with the most exquisite and enchanting physical beauty as well as the most splendid voices that humanity has ever heard. When ships passed by the island at night, the sirens would sing their songs, and the sailors would become so enthralled and seduced by the song that they would veer their ships into the darkness toward the lovely singing. The jagged rocks that surrounded the island tore apart the ships, sending the sailors to a watery demise.

Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, knew the stories of the siren’s legendary song. As his ship prepared to pass the siren’s island one night, he placed beeswax in the ears of everyone on board his ship so that they would not be able to hear the enchanting song of the sirens. But he was too curious himself, so instead of plugging his own ears, he had himself tied to the mast of the ship. As the ship passed the island the sailors continued to man the ship in the direction away from the craggy and rocky shore line, oblivious to the siren’s sultry call. Odysseus heard their song, and struggled to free himself from his binds. He tried to get his men to free him, but deafly they only pulled his ropes tighter. If he had been able to, he would have careened the ship toward the island immediately, so strong was the lure of the siren’s song. Eventually the ship was past the island.

Odysseus was hailed as a hero for his ingenuity in passing the siren’s island and being the only man to ever hear the alluring song and not pulled into a ship wreck death.

Orpheus was a skilled musician and legendary poet. When he masterfully played music on his lyre, forest animals were tamed, streams would stop flowing, and trees would bend down towards him, all in an effort to simply hear a part of his beautiful song and sublime voice. As Orpheus led the Argos by the siren island he began playing his lyre and singing his song. Everyone aboard the ship was entranced by the majestic Orpheus, and were charmed by his song. The sirens began singing louder as the Argos passed by, but to no avail. The ship continued on its journey past them, and Orpheus sang louder so that his men would not hear the sirens. And in the end, even the sirens were tamed by the beguiling of Orpheus and his enchanting song.

It is said that Orpheus led his men to safety past the sirens because he played a more beautiful song.

I am sure by now you are probably wondering what any of this Geek mythology has to do with anything. You might be reading this in a newspaper “Religion” section, or reading this on a “pastor’s” blog and might be thinking, “What does this have to do with Christianity?”

“A more beautiful song.”
That is what I want us to think about.

Today there are many seemingly beautiful and appealing songs that are luring people into dangerous and rocky places filled with death and destruction. The tempting songs that are drawing people from the church, their faith, and attempting to pull them away from God.

As Christians what are we to do? As a church what can we do?

Well, we could moan and groan about the other worldly songs being too loud, and flashy and how we just can’t compete with all that.

Or, we could stuff our ears full of beeswax and go about our holy merry way oblivious to the destruction happening all around us.

Or perhaps there is another way. Perhaps we could sing a “more beautiful song” than the songs of the world.

After all, we know the most beautiful song of all, the song of God with us, the song of the Creator adorning flesh and being born in Bethlehem. The Most High God submitting to torture and ridicule, not because of weakness, but because of love. The Most Powerful being nailed to a cross and dying a criminal’s death, not from His wrongdoing, but for ours. And then Adonai, the Lord Jesus, raised from the dead and ascending into heaven to sit at the right hand of God, the Father, Almighty. And in the name of Jesus, we are freely offered grace, forgiveness of sin through his death and resurrection, and eternal life in the everlasting presence of God.

Yes, we have a more beautiful song, we have THE most beautiful song.
But, are we singing it?

               “Encourage one another, and build each other up”- 1 Thessalonians 5:11