Sympathetic Vibrations
Betsy Hendricks / Next Gen Early Childhood Assistant Director
I grew up as a daughter of a piano tuner. My dad had his piano shop behind our house for 23 years. Over those years, I became very familiar with the inner workings of pianos. I would frequently walk into the shop to see what many might consider to be the “guts” of the piano splayed out on a workbench. I could easily identify the hammers, strings, soundboards, and actions as a mere six-year-old. To this day, I am not offended by the smell of varnish fumes; on the contrary, it immediately transports me back to that piano shop, watching Dad restore baby grands, uprights, and grand pianos alike. Though my dad retired from the piano business years ago (and before you ask, he doesn’t even tune my piano so no, I cannot call in a favor), his passion for the technical side of the instrument continues to pique his interest.
We had lunch together over the winter. Our conversations usually go the same way: we begin with small talk, but always get around to talking about spiritual matters. This time we were discussing the Holy Spirit. He talked about how the Holy Spirit is like the sustain pedal on a piano. My dad’s words had an incredible impact on me that afternoon. I pray they are as encouraging to you as they are to me.
“When a single piano key is played, a hard, felt hammer travels forward to strike a string, allowing just that one note to sound. Down below on the right is the pedal called the ‘sustain.’ When it is pressed, all of the strings on the piano are potentially free to ring. If while holding the pedal down a single note is played, say middle-C, all of the seven other C’s on the piano (provided they are in tune with middle-C), will ring along with it in ‘sympathetic vibration.’
"Here’s how it happens: all of the strings are stretched tightly across the same single sheet of thin spruce wood called the ‘soundboard.’ Provided the other strings are in tune and free to ring, the vibrations traveling along the soundboard from a single string naturally find their way to similarly-tuned strings and cause them to become excited and make sound!
"The Holy Spirit works with us in much the same way. If we are ‘in tune’ with Him and are ‘free to ring’, He will cause us to move with Him when He moves and excite those around us who are also ‘in tune’ with Him. Who hasn’t been in the presence of a Spirit-led praise band that excites us to move with them? Or listening to a Spirit-led speaker whose message inspires us and causes us to shout ‘AMEN!’? Or maybe just a Spirit-led brother or sister whose strong but gentle words encourage us when we’re down.
"The Holy Spirit wants to ‘vibrate sympathetically’ in and amongst us, but unless we are in tune and free to ring with Him, there will be no music.”
I grew up as a daughter of a piano tuner. My dad had his piano shop behind our house for 23 years. Over those years, I became very familiar with the inner workings of pianos. I would frequently walk into the shop to see what many might consider to be the “guts” of the piano splayed out on a workbench. I could easily identify the hammers, strings, soundboards, and actions as a mere six-year-old. To this day, I am not offended by the smell of varnish fumes; on the contrary, it immediately transports me back to that piano shop, watching Dad restore baby grands, uprights, and grand pianos alike. Though my dad retired from the piano business years ago (and before you ask, he doesn’t even tune my piano so no, I cannot call in a favor), his passion for the technical side of the instrument continues to pique his interest.
We had lunch together over the winter. Our conversations usually go the same way: we begin with small talk, but always get around to talking about spiritual matters. This time we were discussing the Holy Spirit. He talked about how the Holy Spirit is like the sustain pedal on a piano. My dad’s words had an incredible impact on me that afternoon. I pray they are as encouraging to you as they are to me.
“When a single piano key is played, a hard, felt hammer travels forward to strike a string, allowing just that one note to sound. Down below on the right is the pedal called the ‘sustain.’ When it is pressed, all of the strings on the piano are potentially free to ring. If while holding the pedal down a single note is played, say middle-C, all of the seven other C’s on the piano (provided they are in tune with middle-C), will ring along with it in ‘sympathetic vibration.’
"Here’s how it happens: all of the strings are stretched tightly across the same single sheet of thin spruce wood called the ‘soundboard.’ Provided the other strings are in tune and free to ring, the vibrations traveling along the soundboard from a single string naturally find their way to similarly-tuned strings and cause them to become excited and make sound!
"The Holy Spirit works with us in much the same way. If we are ‘in tune’ with Him and are ‘free to ring’, He will cause us to move with Him when He moves and excite those around us who are also ‘in tune’ with Him. Who hasn’t been in the presence of a Spirit-led praise band that excites us to move with them? Or listening to a Spirit-led speaker whose message inspires us and causes us to shout ‘AMEN!’? Or maybe just a Spirit-led brother or sister whose strong but gentle words encourage us when we’re down.
"The Holy Spirit wants to ‘vibrate sympathetically’ in and amongst us, but unless we are in tune and free to ring with Him, there will be no music.”