music and justice

My relationship with the violin has recently shifted from something like Amos 5:21-24 to something like Psalm 146.  For a time, I burned with the conviction that it should stop starvation and extreme poverty.  It should bring about social and economic justice.  It should institute world peace and usher in the fullness of the kingdom of God in our midst.  Now that I realize it cannot accomplish these things alone, nor I, it is clear that is does sing something core about our common humanity and the beauty of God, and it really does quite a marvelous job at that.

photo credit: Julie Drewes, Wartburg College