Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves withy Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.

(Galatians 3:24-29, NRSV)
 

Music has been referred to as a universal language. What gives music such distinction is not that it evokes a Day of Pentecost-like experience in which as Luke puts it, each one hears the other speak in their own language (Acts 2:6b). Rather, the distinction comes from the fact that music, whatever kind it is, has a common denominator -- a rhythm, a beat. There are other aspects of music that contribute to its universal language characterization like the seven main diatonic tones, for example -- Do, Re, Mi. But the rhythm or beat in music is that which reaches the deepest parts of the soul. It is that which trumps every distinction, artificial or not, and creates sensations that have no regard for differences.

Thinking creatively, one can suppose that God has a common denominator, a rhythm, a beat that reaches the deepest parts of the heart. Paul of Tarsus seems to have experienced this beat in such a dramatic way that he was led to advocate for a revolutionary way of looking at Gentiles, slaves, and even women that was drastically different from ways many Jews of his time were used to.

In order to begin to grasp this common denominator concept as it relates to our relationship with God and one another, let us look at the word “key” as in “God is Key.” The word can be interpreted a number of ways. A key can be an instrument that turns the bolt of a lock or it can be one of seven diatonic tones. It can be a leading individual. Key can also be principal or primary, main, most important. The Prophet Isaiah uses a phrase in Isaiah 22 that helps put this concept into perspective. That phrase is, “key of David.” Isaiah figures that the phrase describes an individual named Eliakim. As the Lord’s servant, the key of David, Eliakim, is to be clothed and robed and given authority. Except for telling us the name and authority of this key of David, Isaiah does not tell us very much about Eliakim. When we turn to the historical book of II King, however, we begin to get a better picture of Eliakim, the key of David.

We find that in II King 18 Eliakim is the faithful servant of King Hezekiah, king of Judah. He has been placed in charge of all of the king’s affairs. Eliakim is the gate keeper; no one appears before the king without Eliakim’s permission and the king can only receive those who have received Eliakim’s blessings. Eliakim serves as key to King Hezekiah’s court but also serves as connection point to the people. We could call Eliakim a king-commoner or a common denominator. He is the common denominator, connecting king to people, people to king, and people to people. Before Eliakim, the line of division is blurred.

That is what baptism in Christ does for us. In our baptism God blurs the line of demarcation. In baptism in Christ, there is more than appears on the surface. What is visible to the naked eye may be one's individuality, but what makes us whole is the baptism in Christ that connects us to God and places each of us at the same level with others. As in music, the notes maintain their individuality but also maintain a common denominator in order to produce harmony, so also those who relate to the common denominator. In this key lies the ability to create rhythm.

Thanks be to God!

God is Key: Open your Hearts and Step to His Beat!

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