language. Heart language can be defined in a lot of different ways. Sometimes your heart language is defined by the music itself. I have a friend whose heart music is country. While this is not a choice I would make normally – I have been in situations where I was surrounded by that particular style. I remember being at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry at the behest of one of my cousins who was visiting. She finds that this music speaks to her heart as well. I am not ashamed to admit that there were a couple of moments when my heart was profoundly impacted by the passion of the lyrics. So I can understand why my friend chooses this style.
Another style that would not usually suit me is opera. And yet, like Tom Hanks in the movie "Philadelphia”, there are times when I am brought to tears by this powerful music.
Yesterday I watched as a group of our students at the school of the arts took a simple worship song, written in a language none of them were familiar with musically or lyrically, and created a rock and roll version that was closer to their heart. And mine I might add. It was fun watching them work this out. And it was even more fun to watch them enjoy the “finished” product.
The actual words are also involved in defining our heart language. For me I do not find enjoyment in simplistic lyric. My heart is drawn to the deep, the ethereal, and the poetic. It is just the way I’m wired. But again, there are those times when the simplest of words will bring me to my knees in worship. Often this lyric is combined with powerful, emotive music. But the words draw me nonetheless.
I have been learning more about heart language as I have “awakened” in Clarkston. This morning I was sitting with one of my friends at church. We were singing songs in many different languages and he was doing a great job of following along and joining in worship. But then we sang a song in Lingala and his voice took on a different strength. Passion filled the words pouring out of his heart and across his lips. He was worshipping in one of his heart languages and all of us with ears to hear knew it.
I am finding a new heart language that I did not know. When I first heard this language it captured me. There is no explanation I can offer. It just happened. At first I just wanted to know a few words – enough to converse with my new friends. So I tried to find a Bible in this language online. I figured that I knew the content in English so I could pick out some words and begin to learn on my own. It was a difficult search because the language is specific to one culture group. In the process of my search I found some worship music that was captioned in this language. I turned on a youtube channel of these videos as I worked at my desk – background music. All of a sudden I found myself weeping and did not know why. I realized that the music had made its way into my soul and some of the words were leaking out and spilling over.
And now I have a tutor who is graciously helping me struggle to learn. And I have been blessed to make many friends who have this as their heart language. One of them is a young songwriter who taught me one of his songs and allowed me to sing it. You see, I believe that you should follow your heart. I believe that God allows our hearts to be moved in order to draw us closer to Him. As I have said before – I don’t know where this journey is taking me, but I am going to keep following the path.
Do you know your heart languages? I encourage you to listen closely.
(There is a video of the song. If you choose to watch…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Wd9RevtB7s)