Comments on: A New Harmonic http://www.ricklord.org/archives/1138 Reflections from Rick Lord on Leadership, Transformation, and Things That Keep Human Life Distinctively Human Tue, 03 Jan 2012 19:00:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Debbie Gegenheimer http://www.ricklord.org/archives/1138/comment-page-1#comment-683 Debbie Gegenheimer Wed, 04 Mar 2009 19:24:59 +0000 http://www.ricklord.org/?p=1138#comment-683 I absolutely LOVE Tom Ehrich's image of Christ's touch on our lives being like that of an harmonic tone on a violin. When I was a kid, I was overjoyed to learn how to play harmonics on my violin. It was PRECISELY because that light touch produced such an ethereal sound that I loved to find that tone. The touch was a catalyst, and I could never understand how it was that an ordinary student with no great talent could make that sound come out of a very ordinary instrument. It seemed almost magical. It only happens with the lightest touch at exactly the right position. Even though the rest of my violin playing was mediocre, that high harmonic on the E-string was always beautiful. It immediately immediately transported me beyond myself and my very limited ability. Each time I found the right spot and touch that could produce the harmonic, I was amazed anew. It was as if it could ONLY be beautiful. If it was not beautiful, then it wasn't really the harmonic. It was all or nothing. I've never heard it voiced before that it was like the touch and grace of God, but I recognize immediately that such is, indeed, the apt description of the experience. Tom's words hit the mark as distinctly as one's finger must touch the string to open that particular portal to the experience of God. When we go to the exact spot at which we vibrate in sync with God's Will, it is not us, but God that comes through, and what might be mediocre outside that place, suddenly is beautiful. I absolutely LOVE Tom Ehrich’s image of Christ’s touch on our lives being like that of an harmonic tone on a violin. When I was a kid, I was overjoyed to learn how to play harmonics on my violin. It was PRECISELY because that light touch produced such an ethereal sound that I loved to find that tone. The touch was a catalyst, and I could never understand how it was that an ordinary student with no great talent could make that sound come out of a very ordinary instrument. It seemed almost magical.

It only happens with the lightest touch at exactly the right position. Even though the rest of my violin playing was mediocre, that high harmonic on the E-string was always beautiful. It immediately immediately transported me beyond myself and my very limited ability. Each time I found the right spot and touch that could produce the harmonic, I was amazed anew. It was as if it could ONLY be beautiful. If it was not beautiful, then it wasn’t really the harmonic. It was all or nothing.

I’ve never heard it voiced before that it was like the touch and grace of God, but I recognize immediately that such is, indeed, the apt description of the experience. Tom’s words hit the mark as distinctly as one’s finger must touch the string to open that particular portal to the experience of God. When we go to the exact spot at which we vibrate in sync with God’s Will, it is not us, but God that comes through, and what might be mediocre outside that place, suddenly is beautiful.

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