Conformity and Harmony

I remember playing the game as a little girl.
Since everyone had sidewalks, it was easy to play.
Don’t step on a crack or you’ll break your mother’s back.
When I think of the words we said in our singsong voice, I cringe.

We didn’t think about the words; they rhymed and that was all that mattered.
We only thought about the rhythm.
We only thought about our footsteps.
We only thought about avoiding every crack.

The sidewalks were like highways.
They seemed to go on endlessly before us.
It was the perfect place to add a little challenge to our game.
It all began as we stood on the line of a sidewalk crack.

We would lock arms and begin.
It was a blending of long legs and short legs.
Right leg first then left leg.
Each of us tried to walk in rhythm.

We would desperately try to walk in sync with each other.
We would desperately try to keep in time with each other.
The shorter legs had to work harder to stay in rhythm with the longer ones.
There were some missteps but then all of a sudden, we were synchronized.

We were walking in tandem.
We were strolling in cadence.
We were traveling purposefully.
We were ambling arm in arm.

This was exemplified in the movie, Dead Poet’s Society.
The main character, a teacher named Mr. John Keating, set out to prove this theory.
He brought his class of boys outside into the courtyard.
He asked three of them to step forward, No grades today, gentlemen, just take a stroll.

They each walked around the courtyard in their own stride and at their own pace.
Then without warning, they all began to walk in cadence.
They all started to walk in step with each other.
They all began to walk with the same rhythm.

There it is, said Mr. Keating.
Left. Left. Left. Right. Left, he sang like a drill sergeant.
The other boys in the class stood around them and began to clap.
Their clap matched the rhythm of the boys’ steps.

Mr. Keating was trying to explain conformity to the class.
Conformity was the difficulty of maintaining one’s belief in the face of others.
The rest of you are standing there saying, “I would have walked differently.”
Ask yourselves why you were clapping.

We all have a great need of acceptance, Keating said.
You must trust that your beliefs are your own even if others think they are odd and unpopular.
Mr. Keating allowed the rest of the boys to walk around the courtyard.
Gentlemen, the courtyard is yours. You do not have to perform, just make it for yourself.

I experienced a different kind of conformity during a time of worship.
It was a time of singing hymns.
We all began in unison.
We were all singing in the same key, our rhythm matched the piano.

And then it began.
Harmony; beautiful, perfect harmony.
No one directed it.
It just happened.

Beautiful harmony.
Three part.
Four part.
And tears welled up in my eyes.

It was a glimpse of heaven.
Unique, singing our own part, treasuring our uniqueness.
We sang with the same rhythm and in the same cadence.
But we had different voices.

Voices blending in praise to the Lord.
Voices mixing effortlessly.
No one directing, no one prompting.
It just happened.

And it was beautiful.

And they sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousands times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth  and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever. The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped. (Revelation 5:8-14)

A new song.
Can you hear it?
Can you hear the voices?
Listen to the different voices blending and mixing in worship.

Conformity on this side of heaven is often a “have to” activity.
There is the strong need to go along and do the same thing.
Conformity in heaven is a “want to” activity.
There is a strong need to blend and mix the voices of the nations into one.

Many voices that are heard in harmony, not dissonance.
Voices that remain unique yet stand as one before the Throne.
Many voices unified.
Yet each voice heard by the Father.

There is no conformity to others in the Kingdom.
There is only conformity to Christ.
There are no solos in heaven.
There is a new song that the Bride of Christ will sing.

Harmony, not conformity.

And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
Jesus died my soul to save,
my lips shall still repeat.

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.
(Jesus Paid It All, by Elvina M. Hall, 1865)

The old hymn says it perfectly.
We each will stand before the Throne one day.
In Christ we stand complete.
We will sing.

Jesus paid it all.
All to Him I owe.
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

We will sing in our own voice.
Yet we will sing together in the unity of worship.
There it is!
There it is!

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To view a video of this scene from the movie, click here.