On the evening of 1st February, 1924, the New York Syphony Orchestra played Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in Carnegie Hall in New York. The performance was broadcast live on the radio. A couple of days later, the orchestra received a letter of thanks from a lady called Helen Keller:
“Dear Friends, I have the joy of being able to tell you that, though deaf and blind, I spent a glorious hour last night listening to Beethoven's "Ninth Symphony." I do not mean to say that I "heard" the music in the sense that other people heard it; and I do not know whether I can make you understand how it was possible for me to derive pleasure from the symphony. It was a great surprise to myself.
“Last night someone suggested that I put my hand on the receiver and see if I could get any of the vibrations. They unscrewed the cap, and I lightly touched the sensitive diaphragm.
“To my amazement, I discovered that I could feel not only the vibrations, but also the impassioned rhythm, the throb and the urge of the music! The intertwined and intermingling vibrations from different instruments enchanted me. I could actually distinguish the cornets, the roll of the drums, deep-toned violas and violins singing in exquisite unison.
“When the human voice leaped up trilling from the surge of harmony, I recognised them instantly as voices. I felt the chorus grow more exultant, more ecstatic, upcurving swift and flame-like, until my heart almost stood still.
“Of course, this was not "hearing" but I do know that the tones and harmonies conveyed to me moods of great beauty and majesty. I also sensed, or thought I did, the tender sounds of nature that sing into my hand—swaying reeds and winds and the murmur of streams.”
She concludes, “As I listened, with darkness and melody, shadow and sound filling all the room, I could not help remembering that [Beethoven] who poured forth such a flood of sweetness into the world was deaf like myself.”
Helen Keller went on to become a great activist for people with disabilities and, in the process, she had experienced an unexpected and profound revelation of beauty and creation. It is hard for me to describe the experience of God, but this I can tell you, he far transcends the best rational explanation I could possibly give.
The philosopher Wittgenstein once poured a cup of freshly ground coffee and asked his students to describe the smell. When they failed Wittgenstein said, in effect: “If we haven’t got words to describe the smell of coffee which we can hold in a cup in our hands, how can we think we have the words adequately to describe God?”
Jesus often chose to speak to the crowds with stories (parables). He recognised people’s limitation to grasp a revelation of who he was and what he was about. He said on one occasion, "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. Even when presented with all the facts it was not enough to convince some people.
When appearing to his disciples after his resurrection, Jesus praised the many would believed in him even though they did not see the physical proof. Jesus told Thomas, the one who doubted, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Maybe we are one of those who blindly believes. We may not go to church and may have issues with some aspects of religion, but something deep inside of us recognises God’s existence. My advice to you is to pursue that belief and just see where it takes you.
ASD
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