"I will sing a new song unto You, O God." (Psalm 144:9 NAS).
“A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.” Maya Angelou
Last night in Xiamen, former Vice Premier Madame Wuyi (吴仪) let her hair down (sort of; her hair is short, and unlike other leaders she does not try to hide the gray).
Forbes recognized this "Iron Lady" as China's second most powerful woman in 2004, 2005, and 2007. A Chinese Margaret Thatcher, she's been a troubleshooter, and gets things done because she speaks her mind (Time Magazine called her the "Goddess of Transparency"). But last night at a Xiamen dinner, the lady who speaks her mind also sang from her heart to local leaders at a dinner. And if this wasn't surprising, those leaders sang to her this morning at our annual Xiamen New Year Reception (photo to right).
Not all of the couple dozen Xiamen leaders were good singers but that did not stop them. They did not sing to sound good but to celebrate--a good lesson for the rest of us.
Like other Americans, I used to laugh at Chinese who sang badly in karaokes. I wondered why they would put themselves and their audience through such torment. But eventually I realized that Chinese care not about how they sing but why; they sing not from the head -- "how do I sound?"-- but from the heart--"I'm happy, so I'll sing, whether I can sing or not!" It reminds me of Psalm 98:6, "make a joyful noise." It may be noise, but at least it is joyful.
Over the years, I've come to admire how Chinese, whether Iron Ladies from Beijing or local farmers, can put aside their cares and their egos and sing. They don't think about how they sing but why, and they have plenty to sing about. They can look back at the last 30 years with pride and thankfulness, and look forward to the next 30 years with a hope that is hard to find in many other countries nowadays.
So next time I'm at a karaoke and asked to sing--I'll probably still decline! But at least I'll enjoy listening to my Chinese friends sing because I know why they sing.
Give the Sacrifice of Joy If Chinese can sing so joyously, with abandon, why can't we do the same for our Father?
Nothing makes me happier than to see my children happy. The same goes for our Heavenly Father. He's happy when we sing, in spite of the seemingly insurmountable problems around the planet. When we sing, it shows that we are joyful because we know that He is in control, and we trust him--and we are thankful for all that we do have.
Jesus enjoyed life, and I suspected he sang! In Matthew 11:19, Jesus said, "The Son of Man came eating and drinking..." Of course, this upset the more "spiritual" religious leaders, who complained that Jesus was "a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'" Jesus had strong words for these people who spurn joy.
In Luke 7:32, Jesus said that the people of the world "are like children who sit in the market place and call to one another, and they say, 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance..."
Sing for the Father. We should sing for the Father, not because of problems but in spite of them, for singing shows our joy, and our confidence that, in spite of appearances, He is in control.
New Day, New Year, New Song David said, "I will sing a new song unto You, O God." (Psalm 144:9 NAS). This is a new day, a new year, so let's sing a new song. My singing may be just noise to many but it will at least be a joyful noise, and I'm certain my Father will appreciate joyful noise much more than sad silence.
Happy Niu Year! (this is the Chinese year of the "ox," or "niu").
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