But it was the sound of that guitar that had caused me to buy it.
It had a resonant clarity of tone that would make your skin tingle.
You could whisper out a melody line.
Harmonic arpeggios would fall like raindrops from it­
clean, clear and distinct.
And a full throated chord progression on those twelve strings
would roll over you like a big breaking wave.
That guitar was a joy to look at,
and to hear it was to be transported.

I was very fond of that instrument. I kept it in a hard shell case.
I put the best silver strings I could afford on it,
and I wiped them clean each time I was done playing.
I did many things to take care of that guitar
so that I could enjoy the beauty it was capable of delivering.

But a perennial and never-ending task for guitarists is tuning.
No matter how fine the instrument may be,
if you donšt keep it in tune it will sound awful and its beauty will be obscured. And this is true of all instruments ­ not just guitars ­ unless they are in tune, they become discordant with themselves and cannot find harmony or make music with others.

This is especially true of the most subtle and sensitive instrument that has ever been created ­ the spirit which God has placed within us. If tuning is a constant task for an instrument made simply of ebony, rosewood and silver, should it be so surprising that something as complex as our souls requires ongoing effort and attention to remain properly attuned?

But we have no strings to change, no gears to tighten in our spirit. So how do we ensure that we will not become discordant with ourselves and out of harmony with God and those around us? How do we care for this glorious instrument that God has given us? How do we stay in tune?

There are two things that Jesus says we must do.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your mind and all your strength and the second is like unto it; love your neighbor as yourself.

On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.

On these two commandments rests the tuning of the human soul.

If we love Jesus we will want to be in harmony with his teachings.

If we are in tune with God we will resonate to the movement of God's spirit. And when that resonance occurs will know, without doubt, that God is with us.

I remember discovering that when another guitarist plucked an open string on their guitar, the same string on my guitar would vibrate in response, if I was in tune with them. The sound wave they had initiated passed invisibly through the air and we were connected, in spite of the distance between us.

I could feel the music they were playing
as my guitar hummed next to my heart.

As it is with strings, so much more so it is with our spirits. This is what Jesus is talking about ­ an invisible but real relationship in which God and Christ and a person are so in alignment that when one moves,

all feel the vibration in the substance of their being.

But this desirable state is not automatic.

We do not look to look very far to see that such harmony is not the norm.
The world cannot receive the spirit of truth because the world is out of tune.
It neither see him, nor knows him. And unless some realignment takes place, no resonance ­ no recognition ­ is possible.
This creates for many the illusion of being isolated and alone.
Out of tune we become out of touch and we dwell in darkness.

But we are not left orphaned.
Even now the spirit is coming to us as constant as the light of the sun.
Even now we have the opportunity to turn from darkness into daylight.

Every day the melody line calls us to us awaiting a response.
Every day we choose to tune our instrument or to let the strings grow slack.

It is true that Jesus' two commandments are easier to report
than they are to apply.

But the more we try to apply these principles in our daily life,
the more discerning we will be.

The more we listen to the harmony of God,
the sharper our ear becomes.

The melody line is singing out in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. It is time to tune up.

What will be required of us, today, to love God?
What will be required of us, today, to love our neighbor?

More than words are required.
These questions do not simply want answers.
They demand actions.

We cannot tune a guitar by wishing, or by saying lovely things.
Nor can we attune ourselves to God by wistful thinking.
We may not have gears and strings in our souls
but nevertheless it takes intentional actions to get in tune.

Are you out of sorts with your neighbor? Do something about it.
In as much as it is up to you, make peace.

Do you see a brother or sister in need and have the ability to help?

Then do so, for how does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods yet refuses to help.

Do you see someone dying of spiritual thirst who has no idea where to turn?
Tell them about the living water you have found.

Maybe you're the one who is dry.
Fall on your knees and come to the river of God.
Drink deeply, and then tell somebody all about it.

It is never too late to tighten those strings.
Today is the day to get in tune.

Let yourselves be open to the spirit.
Let yourselves be used for the glory of God.

Eternal life is singing in the distance
waiting to see if our hearts will resonate.
Let's get ready, now. Let's get ready.