Think of it. What purpose does it serve?

We all seem to enjoy music to some degree. Some are inspired by classical pieces, some by hard-core rock or country tunes. It’s a matter of what appeals to you. Appreciation of music is pretty much universal. But why?

If we analyze music from a scientific viewpoint, we would realize that music is nothing more than a compilation of sounds and rhythms that give us pleasure. If we were to remove a single note from a song and hear it independently, it would cease to have the same impact. If we were to jumble the sequence of notes into a random pattern, we would probably find the results to be more annoying than satisfying. If we were to scramble the rhythm, we would quickly tune it out.

This is where logic supports faith. This is also where logic cuts both ways.

Logic says that music serves no fundamental purpose. Hearing and recognizing sounds can certainly be a benefit. It would come in handy if you heard and recognized the sound of a predator sneaking up behind you. Music has no such noble function.

That same logic suggests that the appreciation of music serves as a connection to a higher purpose. If music serves no practical function, then there must be another reason we respond to it the way we do. Perhaps that higher purpose is to link us to the Creator in a language of the spirit realm.

If we reflect on our own responses to music, we would probably recognize that music is very closely tied to emotion. We experience an emotional response to love songs that enhance our feelings toward another. We mourn when a song reminds us of a lost love, a deceased loved one or another traumatic moment in our lives.

There is music of celebration, music of mourning, and music of nostalgia. Yes, there is even music of anger. Virtually every emotion can be linked to music.

Yes, the lyrics play a part in the process, but later, when we hear only the melody, we still respond to the emotional message.

We also respond to the beat or rhythm of music. If the beat is off, we find it jarring and it destroys our enjoyment of the piece. It is almost as if there is a universal rhythm or order to the universe and we need that order to satisfy our existence. When that rhythm is disrupted, it makes us uncomfortable.

While non-believers can explain away many of the natural phenomenon as functions of physics, biology or chemistry, there is no such explanation for the effect of music.

When we consider the fact that music plays no part in practical matters, we might conclude that music may have its foundation in another dimension. Perhaps it is the language of the spiritual realm that we aspire to occupy after our earthly existence.

Perhaps it is a language that knows no words.

Perhaps it is God’s native language, and we learn it throughout our lives.