The Sound System

We have a sound system with speakers in various rooms of our house.
Sound systems installed when a house is built must be wonderful.
This system consists of various Bluetooth speakers in the rooms of our choice.
We started out with two speakers; and have expanded to five.

There is a speaker in the family room and the kitchen.
There is a speaker in the dining room and the living room.
There is a speaker on the bridge that overlooks the family room and foyer.
When all the speakers are on, the entire downstairs has continuous sound.

Being a lover of music, this sound system was a wonderful gift from my husband.
I have music on in our house all the time.
When I am here by myself, I play my music quite loud.
When others are in the house with me, I have to be more considerate.

I can choose any album I want to hear from my music library.
I can listen to a radio station that Apple music compiles for me.
I can listen to stations that I have set on Pandora radio or Spotify.
My husband can listen to football games on his college radio station.

Theoretically, we could have a speaker in every room.
Each speaker could play the same thing, or we can play something different on each one.
When my husband is in his office on a call for work, I can mute the speaker closest to him.
All of the music is controlled through my iPhone.

Sometimes, I marvel at the technology we have at our fingertips.
I remember record albums, eight track tapes, and cassette tapes.
I remember the disc-man, walk-man, and boom box.
I remember my children’s nano and iPod shuffle.

I brought my iPod everywhere and listened to music as I drove in the car.
It was so amazing to be able to drive with my entire music library.
I never imagined that every song and every album would be available to me.
A vast music library beyond my comprehension, was readily available

I teach a Bible study in my home.
We are studying the life of Peter, which is so closely woven with Jesus’ life.
Michael Card, a Christian music artist I love, recorded an album on Peter.
I have The Fragile Stone album and thought that the songs would enhance our lesson.

I wish I had thought ahead and had the song ready for when I wanted to play it.
I found the song on my phone, in my library, in an instant.
I was pretty proud of myself for how quickly I found it.
I clicked on the song but it only played through my phone.

I needed to go into my sound system so the album could be played through there.
I got into my sound system, clicked on artists, and then clicked on the album.
All the while, the song continued to play through my iPhone.
The women could not hear it that way; they needed it to be played through the speakers.

I’m so sorry, I said as I tried to quickly and expertly click on everything rapidly.
Finally, the song played through the speakers and filled the entire downstairs.
I stopped playing the song on my phone.
The song could be clearly heard by everyone.

Technology, I thought to myself.
It truly is amazing.
It truly is wonderful when used correctly.
Even though the music was at my fingertips, there were still steps that needed to happen first.

They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. (Mark 8:22-25)

After Bible study, I thought about trying to find the song.
I thought about the song playing first on my iPhone with low volume.
I thought about having to open my sound system in order to play the song through there.
I thought about how only then was the volume clear and able to be heard by all.

As I made myself a cup of tea after the women left, I thought of the blind man.
I thought about how he begged Jesus to touch him so he could see.
Jesus spit on the man’s eyes and put His hands on him.
Do you see anything? Jesus asked him.

I see people; they look like trees walking around.
Like my first attempt at playing the song for the women, this man saw dimly and without clarity.
Like my second attempt, playing the song through my sound system, the man saw clearly.
The problem was not with Jesus; Jesus is able to heal perfectly.

The point of the account in Mark’s Gospel is that faith is often gradual.
Some people come to faith and have clarity from the very beginning.
For most of us, we grow into our faith.
We begin seeing dimly, and grow into greater clarity as the Holy Spirit enlightens us.

 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. (1 Corinthians 13:12)

Often, our faith is gradual.
Sometimes there is a slow progression in our faith until there is clarity.
We are often like the blind man who saw people as trees until he saw them clearly.
His sight was restored.

I now think of my music episode with a smile.
I played the song through my phone quietly.
Eventually, I was able to play the song through my sound system clearly.
There was a gradual progression until there was clarity.

How wonderful to hear every word; how wonderful to hear every note.
How wonderful to grow in our faith until our dim sight becomes clear.
Do you see anything?
The touch of Jesus makes everything clear.