the MUSIC is playing

Rocky sits in the hospital next to his comatose wife, Adrian. When she finally wakes up, she tells Rocky to come a little closer. Then, she whispers, “I want you to do one thing.” After a short hesitation, she completes her thought, uttering the word that propels Rocky to new heights. “Win,” she says! At that, Mickey, Rocky’s trainer, adds his own words: “What are we waiting for?” From that moment, we see a rejuvenated Rocky. He works hard and is determined. And many of us want live vicariously through him. Indeed, I recall one late evening, years ago, when, after seeing Rocky III, a friend of mine and I went out for a 3 mile jog . . . in about a foot of freshly fallen snow! Rocky does that for you, or at least for me. But, what is it that highlights the touching moments? What draws out the emotion in us? What makes us want to embody the best features of the movies we watch? Well, I would suggest that it’s MUSIC.

Immediately after Adrian gives her okay to Rocky, right after Mickey’s “What are we waiting for?” the music begins, building from moment to moment, carrying us with it, highlighting the emotional features of the scene. It’s the music that turns a nice story into a truly inspiring tale. Indeed, it’s the same in most every movie. What would Jaws be like without the Dun Dun? Sure, we’d have a large shark, lurking in the waters nearby, but it wouldn’t be the same without the music. The same is true for, say, Forest Gump, Titanic, Casablanca, Brian’s Song, and a host of movies/T.V. shows. The music is like an emotional magnifying glass, which brings out the truth and significance of any important scene.

Now, some would argue that this is what makes movies magical or make-believe. The director gets to dub in music at appropriate points. Thus, or so we are told, real life differs from movies. In real life there are no emotion-laden soundtracks . . . or are there? Indeed, I just saw a t-shirt which read: The problem with life is that it lacks the background music. In my opinion, the t-shirt is wrong!

You see, my contention is that there is indeed a type of music that is playing all around us. That’s why, at least on occasion, certain moments in our lives are filled with motivation and zeal. Sometimes, the things we encounter and the people to whom we relate bring out deep feelings and powerful emotions. Though we may go lengthy periods of time in a rather perfunctory fashion, every once in a while ardor fills our souls. At those times, we become much more sensitive to the truly profound nature of life and of the people we encounter in life. Empathy begins to flow, and we see things the way, well, the way they really are. In other words we actually “hear the music.”

My view, therefore, is not that life copies movies so much as movies mirror the best aspects of life. The music is playing every day, and when we hear it, it is difficult to contain our emotions. People truly matter. Relationships matter. Truth matters. Love matters. A lot of things are important; they matter, but–as fallen and imperfect creatures in a fallen and imperfect world–we often fail to recognize this fact. Sometimes, the music is crowded out by the sheer craziness of our schedules or by foolish choices. But, and this is what we must remember, the music is playing. Indeed, the music maker is divine. “Lord, let the music play, and enable us to hear what you are playing each day in our lives.”