I do pretty well picking out harmony in my work at church: reading scripture, playing flute with the Worship Team, singing alto with the choir, and serving on the Women’s Ministry team. Believe me, I am honored to be able to produce pleasing sounds with others in shared purpose. But I can also count on my mistakes, wrong notes, and less than harmonious consistency. Because harmony—in music, our studies and relationships—is a human and therefore flawed endeavor. 

Musical Harmony

In music, harmony means the simultaneous sounding of two or more notes, creating a chord that supports the melody. Melody, a sequence of single notes, moves the music forward horizontally; harmony adds the vertical color. I love singing and playing harmony, because it adds depth and emotion, both pleasing consonance and tense dissonance. Both/And. There is the metaphor.

Although we might wish for consonance in music, visual scenes, stories, and life—pleasing, consistent agreement and accord—growth doesn’t happen unless there is disharmony or dissonance. This is different from mistakes or wrong notes, which are disharmonies that detract. Dissonance is tension, unpleasant and rough, that wants to be resolved. Effective harmony, therefore, only works well when there’s a balance between consonance and dissonance, tension, something at stake that resolves into a new consonance and deeper understanding. 

Gospel Harmony

In Christian biblical studies, there’s a subset called gospel harmony, in which academics compare the four gospel accounts—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—in order to form a single narrative or a synopsis. A harmony. The purpose of this study is to provide people like me with an understandable story. But scholars also try to create a chronology of Jesus’ life and a better understanding of how the gospel accounts relate to one another. 

As we might imagine, academics don’t always agree with one another. Traditionalists harken back to early Christian accounts while other scholars prefer a more modern approach. Debate can be intense, as in this dramatic scene. The resolution? Accounts laid out in parallels for comparison. A visual gospel harmony of contrasts.

Biblical Harmony

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! Psalm 133:1 NIV

In the Bible, harmony represents unity, peace, and shared purpose linked to humility, love, and living according to God’s will. Paul wrote in Romans 12:16, Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.And do not envy, as Karen Swallow Prior wrote in a recent post about how Cain envied Abel. We all know how that turned out. There is no harmonious compromise or peace when evil is involved.

Paul also emphasized having the mind of Christ and treating others with love and compassion. Or as Peter wrote: Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Like harmony in music, Christian harmony does not mean uniformity but rather a bringing together of diverse “sounds,” gifts to serve God and one another, as in this softer scene.

All harmony requires effort and daily practice. So, I’d better get to it.

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