The closest thing we have ever come to a universal language is music. Perhaps there is a good reason. You might say that music is the native language of the angels.
It seems that every culture, every nation, every race has an appreciation for music. It might be as simple as a rhythmic beat on a hollow log. It might be as complex as a symphony orchestra. It might be the sweet voices of a children’s’ choir or the otherworldly tones of an electronic instrument.
And it’s not just us. Animals seem to respond to music as well. Most of us have seen videos of the elephant who loves piano music, the herd of cows that cross the pasture to approach the musician playing some instrument on the other side of the fence. Dogs chiming in with their voices to accompany music is a familiar sight.
The easiest explanation appears to be that music is tied to emotion. The sounds of “Amazing Grace” can bring tears long after the funeral where it was played. That sad song about a lost love can resurrect old pain. That special love song can bring back memories of a time when love was young and fresh. On the most basic level, animals seem to enjoy music, and we could categorize “enjoyment as an emotional response.
Okay. So music is tied to emotion. What has that to do with our efforts to find the relationship between faith and logic?
Plenty.
If we look at music logically, it serves no purpose. It doesn’t help plant the spring crops. It doesn’t heat your home, fix a flat tire or feed your family (unless you are a professional musician). What it does do is fuel or amplify emotion.
Our emotions, on the other hand, are critical to our existence. It is the emotion of love or desire that drives procreation. The emotion of fear protects us from potentially lethal situations. The emotion of sorrow provides the contrast that enhances the emotion of joy.
It is our complex package of emotions and our tendency to be drawn to music that provides a new level of confidence that we are the product of intelligent creation rather than an accident of nature. It is that same package that demonstrates our connection to the spirit world.
When we consider the possibilities that a random pattern of evolution and accidents of nature led to our existence, our logic test won’t support those possibilities. What random chemical formula would create an appreciation of music? What random mix of chemicals creates a library of emotions?
Perhaps the love of music is our way of learning the language of the angels so that we will be ready when our day comes to join their company.