Devotions

The story is told of a colony of mice who made their home at the bottom of a large upright piano. To them, music was frequent, even routine. It filled all the dark spaces with lovely melodies and harmonies.

At first the mice were impressed with the music. They drew comfort and wonder from the thought that someone made the music -- though invisible, yet close to them. They loved to tell stories about the great Unseen Player.

Then one day an adventuresome mouse climbed up part of the way in the piano and returned with an elaborate explanation about how the music was made. Wires were the secret -- tightly stretched wires of various lengths that vibrated and trembled from time to time. A second mouse ventured forth and came back telling of hammers -- many hammers dancing and leaping on the wires. The mice decided they must revise their old opinions. The theory they developed was complicated, but complete with evidence. In the end, the mice concluded that they lived in a purely mechanical and mathematical world. The story of the Unseen Player was relegated to mere myth.

The Unseen Player continued to play nonetheless.*


Scripture: "The fool says in his heart, "there is no God.""  Psalm 14:1 RSV