Now, I'm no music theorist or even someone who can tell you if someone sung a wrong note. My ears and mind don't work that way. But there is something in the idea of a drumline that we as disciples can relate to.
Mary's heartbeat was just that. Mary's. God gave her her own song to sing, her own path to follow. That is between her and God. Just like each of us. We all have our own beat to listen to. But the drumline represents many of us. Many heartbeats, together for Jesus.
Kinda like the shepherds in Luke 2.
These fellows did two things that I think we can all ponder in our hearts like Mary did.
These guys were living out in the fields. With their sheep. It's just the way things were. These guys were probably a good bit rougher around the edges than the disciples. Real 'salt of the earth' if you will. And these were the first people that God revealed his son to.
Look at most of the stories in the Bible involving angles or messengers of God. They are usually meeting with leaders, or important folk. The whole story of Jesus, from beginning to end turns things that are 'normal' or traditional on their prim and fluffy heads. Other than Mary and Joseph, who gets to be the first to know that the Savior is born, and given directions on where to find him?
The dirty, smelly, salty, fringe of society shepherds. Most readers out there wouldn't want these guys in your house let alone around your literally new born child. Let me tell you this, Mary didn't have a bottle of Purell in her robes.
Back to the shepherds themselves. Here is the scene:
It's night. Probably pretty dark by now. You and your shepherding pals are maybe around a fire, one of you is keeping watch out past the flock who are all huddled together. A wild dog barks in the distance. A normal night. Stars in the sky shinning down like always. When suddenly, you're all surrounded by light and there is a strange figure among you. He starts talking. You're freaking out and miss what he is saying,
"...good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”You start to wrap your mind around this, when even more alarmingly there is a whole 'great company' of messengers poof into view with the angel and declare praises to God,
Then they vanish and go back to heaven."Glory to God in the highest,and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
I imagine the shepherds siting there blinking at each other wondering who was going to ask if the others saw what they just saw and risk being thought of as the next "Crazy Willie," of the herding community. Then after a few moments of deafening silence, they all start to talk at once. "We have to go! Let us see what the Lord has done!"
And off they go. Maybe Crazy Willie was left to watch the sheep. Maybe they left the sheep there alone. Or, maybe the sheep went right along with them. Who knows. But the shepherds booked it into town. Their feet running or rambling along the paths.
That is the drumline.
The feet of the hungry running toward what God has done. When was the last time you ran to meet God? Or are you more accustomed to that slow, somber walk down to an alter? Maybe into a confessional. Or just meeting up with a mentor to talk over coffee. Run to him. Let you heart race as your feet pound the earth to see what he is doing. Be excited about God!
I know it's been a while for me. And that's no one's fault but my own. But I'm getting back on my feet and starting to run now. Cause God is working. He is always working and moving, and doing and surprising us. We just forget to be amazed by it.
What are you hungry for? Will you run to him? Will you let you feet beat out a drumline as you flock to what he is doing?
I hope so. I'll see you there.
grace, peace + hope-Jesse
