The Fifth Voice

I sing in a quartet. We always attempt to have a very close harmony and when we sing in unison we strive for it to sound like one voice. Our unofficial musical goal is for the listener not to be able to identify which of us is singing a specific part. Sometimes the harmony is so tight that we hear what we lovingly call “the warbler.” That’s not an official music theory title for the sound. So, you know me, I researched that phenomenon. It is called the “ring.” It is when the voices are so unified in harmony that it rings. It has something technical to do with synchrony of sound wave lengths. Some say that there is actually the sound of a fifth voice!

Paul evidently knew a little something about harmony in singing. He wrote in Colossians 3:12-16 (and I will insert little comments here and there):

So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you forgive.  Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity (or that perfect harmony).  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body (the ring); and be thankful.  Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing (see, he understands our harmony in action) with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

We are supposed to be a cohesive group at home or church (or wherever Christians are gathered) having that perfect harmony. We should be acting, praising, singing, worshipping, managing, and/or whatever we are doing together with unity. We are supposed to have the ring. If any one of us is out of tune we won’t.

The best harmony comes from singers from the same family. It’s in the DNA and some call it “blood harmony.” And so it should be with the Christian body. We have the same spiritual genetic makeup with the same Father so our harmony should be tight. And nothing but the blood of Jesus has brought us together.

So If I am not acting with kindness, humility, patience, forgiveness, or love then I’m not helping the unity of the group. It won’t have the heavenly ring. And it won’t until I get tuned with God’s harmony. When I’m synchronized spiritually with my brothers and sisters in Christ then those outside the family will marvel at our harmony.

They will hear the fifth voice.

Who is the fifth voice?

 Jesus, of course