Make God's Praise Glorious!: Fast and Slow

FAST. Sneakers of the soul laced tight, wind in the hair of vision, enormous amounts of adrenalin propelling the body onward. Sometimes we live life in the fast lane, zooming from one activity to the next, facing our responsibilities with all the gusto we can muster under a blazing sun and fluffy-cloud, blue sky. Or sometimes we are just running scared, or furiously pursuing a receding-in-the-distance, life-long goal. FAST. Are you in this lane today?

S L O W. Moments last longer here, where the flow of blood is barely perceptible, thoughts are more one-dimensional and enlarged, past and present meld with today. Life in the slow lane might mean summer vacation on a lazy beach, or in a hammock with a good book. How about a lingering, wet kiss from a much loved spouse? But then s l o w might also mean our sails have been clipped, or our limbs are weary or weighted down. Perhaps death is inching toward us and we perceive its stealth-like steps with a slow sigh. S L O W. Are you in slow motion today?

Contrasts. That seems to be the script for life's playbook, doesn't it?

Terms in a musical score from Adagio (very slow) to Presto (very fast) give musicians instructions for the tempo of a piece of music, with variations sometimes occurring in the midst of the piece. I've often thought how these changes tell the story of humanity, with the ebb and flow across the ages of multitudinous stories that weave together the tapestry of the story of the world.

Jesus lived in both lanes during his days on earth. A phrase in Mark's gospel always makes me smile:

Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” Mark 6:31

When my children were still at home and I sometimes felt like there wasn't even time to eat, I liked to remember Jesus had that problem too. And he knew when enough was enough and it was time to change lanes. To move from serving to resting.

It's good to remember that Jesus said to them, "Come with me." Whether in the fast or slow lanes, knowing Jesus is there with us and leading us is a strengthening, lovely thought.

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MUSIC LINKS

Here are two Bach Preludes from the WTC, that I enjoy playing and share here as examples of FAST and S L O W. I have paired both of these with a famous impressionistic painting that tells a kindred-spirit-like story.