Lately two themes has been prevalent amongst our friends and especially in the discussions of our Mondaynight men's group. The first is a phrase I give Chris credit for coining, and that is the idea of us having a "bias for action". This concept has been on my heart for awhile. The second theme is one Chris muses on in one of his recent blogs, - the desire to build and create. It is the calling of our early thirties. The life period of Jesus' public ministry, etc. And for the things I want to create now, I find myself more willing to wait for, to be rid of quick get schemes, because now my deeper desire is to build things that last. Perhaps building a family, maybe art or music, words in a blog, or anything. I wonder if it is just a desire to be relevant, or maybe something more too.
At present I have a fantastic job working at the FSU College of Music, and so I have the joy of having many great conversations with students, professors, and otherwise. Topics are far reaching, though often with a preference for things music ;-). Anyway, a great realization hit me yesterday during one of these cool conversations. It is one regarding the beauty of music, (and perhaps the arts in general). I have often heard music desribe as a form of expression. The universal language, etc. At the same time, when composing music, we say that we are "creating" it. For this reason, for me it fills this "creation" desire. I sometimes feel it puts me in touch with a side of God that I have no other way to find.
The realization though was simple. For more that fulfilling the "creation" urge, using the language of music, by doing so, I was also following the other theme, the "bias for action". To act is to choose. To choose a position and stand. To set a direction and move. To turn your back on one landscape, and to embrace another. And so to create music is in itself choice. Whether chosen like a symphony, carefully, days ahead, with great thought, or to breathe it by the moment, as changes flying through a jazz standard. And to perform that music is to plant my feet, set my direction, and run. It is to choose, and to act. My inspiration.
1 comments:
I wish that I could take create for "bias for action", however I picked it from a leadership conference sponsored by Willow Creek. There was study regarding the way Jesus led. They said that Peter demonstrated a "bias for action". The idea really struck me and has been churning in my head for some time.
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