There Was Corruption In The Midst Of Us
I am always amazed by the illustrations (pictures) our everyday lives can impart to us. My ‘Hubby’ and I spent the weekend at a very popular music (Bluegrass) festival, here in the Ozarks (Southwest Missouri). If you know anything about Bluegrass Music, you will know that it is has a rich history here in the Missouri Ozarks. It is pure, pre-Country Music. You may have heard of Rhonda Vincent (the reigning queen of bluegrass music). She is a Missouri native credited with working tirelessly to popularize bluegrass and acoustic music. The most typical instruments used are guitar, dog-house bass (a large bass fiddle), fiddle (you will offend a bluegrass player if you call the fiddle a violin), mandolin, banjo, and sometimes a dulcimer and a dobro guitar. You will not see these musicians with sheet music (this is not to say they can’t read music), as their musical talents truly are gifts.
In the evenings after the main show has ended, many of the folks who came to listen to the bluegrass music will gather outside someones camper (home away from home) to “jam”. Jam is a term used to describe several musicians sitting in a relaxed atmosphere playing their musical instruments and singing together. It really is quite amazing to sit and listen to them. Ed (my ‘hubby’) and I had no choice but to sit and listen to the ‘jam’ session, as it was outside, underneath our camper awning. I might add, we were up until 2:00 a.m. observing and listening. I’m taking my mandolin the next time.
You’re probably thinking, “what does this have to do with~corruption in the midst of us”? Well, I’m about to get into that. First of all, I want to give you a definition of ‘corruption’. “Corruption: impairment of integrity, virtue or moral principle; a departure from the original or from what is pure or correct. And, Archaic: an agency or influence that corrupts” Definitions from Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
Present in our ’jam’ session were 3 guitar players, 1 bass fiddle player, 1 banjo player, 1 fiddle/mandolin player and a ‘want to be’ mandolin player. These folks are always happy to let beginners play with them. It’s amazing how one person will begin to play and sing, and the rest join in to complete and compliment the song.
Our little group was very content and the atmosphere was most pleasant…UNTIL the ‘Archaic’ arrived. Around 12:30 a.m., a stranger broke into our midst. He was a young man, maybe around 30 years of age. He had no musical instrument, only his trusty cell phone (which by the way, no one in our little group played with or answered a cell phone while we were together that night). The young man listened for a while, but as soon as the moment was right (for him), he interrupted with a request for a Meryl H. country western song so that he might show off his talent. I believe his words were, ‘pretty good singing voice’. Right then, you could feel the atmosphere change. The young man was persistent until one of the guitar players obliged him. He requested one song after another, using his cell phone to find all the words to the songs (all Meryl H. songs…he he). The guitar man continued to play the music for him, about 35 minutes, and then nicely said, “I don’t know anymore of those songs”. The guitar man was also drawn in, to looking at immoral junk on the young man’s cell phone. Just so you’ll know, everyone else had quit playing their instruments, while the 1 guitar man played and the young man sang. And, it was not to hear his great rendition of “Okie From Muskogee”, but in protest for the interruption. The young man left when his guitar player quit playing, and stopped paying attention to the cell phone immorality.
I watched very intently as all of this went on. I also spent some additional time during the weekend observing this young man. It was like everywhere I was, he was busy networking with people and trying to sell himself, in some way. I could guess at what his angle was, but that’s not important. It’s safe to say, he was searching for something, for his own gain.
Back to the ‘jam’ session. This young man worked his way into a place where he really was not fitted for. And, because one person (the guitar player) allowed him access, he corrupted the atmosphere. It was such a quick move, that most did not know what happened, until after it happened. After this young man left, the music, the atmosphere, nor the conversation was the same. His presence and his influence created a ‘departure from what was pure’. Those present did not know how to handle the situation as it happened, or after it happened.
What does this have to do with me, and you? It is an illustration of how easily an ‘archaic’, can move in to our lives and corrupt what is pure and good. I’m talking about the righteousness of the Lord, the standards of God. What could have been said, or done, to stop the corruption in the above situation? Probably, just to say, “that is not the kind of music we are playing here“. You do whatever is necessary to dis-allow the corruption. Be prepared always. The enemy is always lurking, always waiting for that one moment when we are not prepared to say, “that is not the kind of music we play here“.
How can we prepare ourselves to be bold enough to stop the intruder (the powers of a dark world and spiritual forces of evil’ in the heavenly realms)? Read Ephesians 6:10-18 “…be strong in the Lord and His power. Put on the full armor of God…Stand firm…be alert…”
And, always be prepared to say, “That Is Not The Kind Of Music (insert your own word) We Play Here”!
This entry was posted on Monday, July 5th, 2010 at 9:38 pm and is filed under Daily Steps. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
