Who’s the Leader of the Band?

 

         I love the fall.  It reminds me of many things I love about this season, the crisp cool mornings, sweatshirt weather, and my fondest memories of participating in the high school marching band.   I now enjoy sitting in the bleachers to watch our daughters perform their marching routines.   As a family, we also love searching to find college half-time shows posted on the Internet.  If you’ve never done this, I would highly recommend it.  Last evening before turning off the lights,  we found ourselves on Youtube watching a beautiful expression of complexity through the illuminating performance by Texas A and M marching band.  I have included a link for your viewing enjoyment.  Click here. 

     In their first formation, they create an arrow that points in a forward direction that one would consider downfield. Next, many band sections move from left to right to form the arrow’s tip, but the primary motivation is to move the entire marching team from one end of the field to the other. Finally, when they meet their desired destination, the band turns inward to condense themselves into a tight formation.  Then, an amazing thing begins to happen, the front of the band does a 180-degree turn and changes directions by marching in the opposite direction through the surrounding band members.  Leadership has reversed its path, and now the entire band finds themselves imitating the leader and doing an about-face. 

     Because the band has condensed its width, I marveled at how precise the movements must have been to avoid head-on collisions.  About five minutes into the nine-minute presentation, the formation tightens itself even further, making it appear impossible to reverse their direction, yet they do.  Now shoulder to shoulder, the members turn row-by-row and continue to follow their leader.  Why?  Because they desire unity.  They appear to come upon an invisible barrier, which causes them to change directions instinctively. 

     As many of us who have participated in marching band learn, it is not instincts that cause us to move in precision; it is practice, hours and hours of rehearsals. When a band member does not recognize its role and refuses to follow the appointed leader, the entire performance will appear flawed, and the formations will become unrecognizable.  I would encourage you to watch the video to see how this illustration shows how beautiful precision and alignment can look.   

     In the early morning hours, I encountered the thought of how well this performance demonstrates what it means to follow Christ, who desires to keep us on the narrow road.  It wasn’t the military-style performance that struck me, but the recognition of the effort it takes to appear like a single unit, united by the Word of God, willing to follow the leadership of Jesus Christ.

     For the next several weeks, I am teaching Sunday School lessons from the book of Genesis, where God created the heavens and the earth.  As I reviewed the creation process with the kids, it was easy to show how God’s designs were very organized. First, he created light; then He separated the light from the darkness (day and night).  Next, He divided the waters, creating an expanse or a place to fill the earth with living things. Finally, God made boundaries to hold the water in place so that dry land would appear. Thus, God was building the foundations on which we would live.  Based on our belief in God creating the foundations of the world, one must choose to believe that we should live on top of God’s foundation.  What other choice makes sense?  If we are living upon God’s foundation, shouldn’t it make sense that we would rely upon God’s Word to provide our direction? 

     This world is not responding to God’s leadership. Instead, so many are choosing to do what is right in their own eyes. But, unfortunately, doing what is right in our own eyes creates chaos and confusion.  Christians aren’t exempt from this trend. So let us ponder today what personal opinions we are holding today that are challenging unity.  The Bible says, “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion” (see Proverbs 18:2 ESV).   Although God has finished His work in creating the Universe, the Bible tells us that God will separate good from evil.  Jesus says in Matthew 13:49–50 (ESV), “So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”  God’s looking into the hearts of humankind to redeem those who will enter His kingdom.  Will we move in the direction our Savior has established?  Or will we allow our opinions to direct our course? 

     I recognize how easy it is to be influenced by swirling opinions, to add our two cents, even among Christians. However, if we were to be truthful, we realize that our views change over time.  What should be more relevant to us is the collateral damage we leave behind when expressing our opinions.  After all, aren’t most arguments regarding things that will perish?  Is there something better to set our minds on?  God has granted us eternity.  I can think of no firmer foundation to stand, no better leader to follow.  Even when I move in the opposite direction following God’s Holy Word, who knows, maybe others will follow.  It’s God’s light, not our light, that shines.