The Language of Heaven

For some time now I’ve wondered if perhaps music is the language of heaven.  It is a universal language that conveys meaning to our hearts in a beautiful and emotional way.  It’s like a heart language that all of humanity shares.

 

 

This morning while on my walk with God I was listening to “Lothlórien” by Enya—which I find absolutely gorgeous by the way—and even though it’s completely instrumental, I felt like the music was drawing my eyes to the skies and my heart toward thinking about life from above—from my heavenly position in Christ’s throne with Him (Eph 2:6).  The song has no lyrics at all, but the melody alone was used by the Holy Spirit to call me toward a heavenly perspective.  And yet, somehow, the tune also seemed to allow for acknowledging the more humble setting in which I physically reside.  It seemed to promote a balanced approach to looking up, seeing from on high, but also looking straight ahead, and accepting where I am.

 

 

( By the way… after writing this post, I decided I ought to look up what the word, “Lothlórien” means, and I was pleasantly surprised.  It seems the artist had a similar thing in mind when she composed the song!  Lothlórien was, in fact, the convergence of two contrasting realms.  Look it up!)

 

 

 

I’ve written before about how it seems to me that God writes and reveals melodies and lyrics in His perfect timing and with His own purposes, which are almost certainly grander than those of the earthly artists who are given credit for them.  I’ve found over the past few years that I often find deeper spiritual meanings to secular songs.  Sometimes the lyrics an artist assigns to a tune just seem absurdly shallow or silly compared to the message the Holy Spirit impresses on my heart.  

 

 

It makes me think of Jesus’ parables.  There are some who will only take away simple moralistic messages from them, and God allows it to be so.  But the Holy Spirit’s omniscient power to wield anything in creation for His purposes is one of the most beautiful and magical aspects of the way He works, and the more I experience it, the more I stand in awe.

 

 

 

Anyway… the language of heaven.  As I thought about this more, I realized that music is not the only artistic expression that is somewhat universal.  Perhaps heaven will have unlimited languages which speak truth and meaning to each one’s heart.  Perhaps our emotional intelligence will be raised to level where we can gain absolute meaning through observing the facial expression and muscular efforts of a runner completing His marathon, a ballerina executing a pirouette, or a painter blending colors on a canvas. 

 

 

Just as each of us have mother tongues with which we will always communicate best, we also have other heart languages which speak to others, and as ourselves as well, of the longings of our hearts.  In the fallen condition we tend not to have opportunity to fully express these things as we would like to, and even if we do, it tends to be misunderstood or under understood.  But one day it won’t be so.  

 

 

Communication is clearly one of God’s defining attributes.  So integral is it to His character, that John 1:1 names Him the Word.  Genesis 1 introduces us to all of creation as an expression of His speech, and Hebrews 1:3 affirms that His power is in fact a means of His communication which actually upholds all of creation.  Clearly, He is a communicating God who is not limited to the languages of vocal cords.   

 

 

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  Hebrews 4:12