A few weeks ago, while flying to Florida, I was listening to an orchestral recording of Dvorak’s “New World” symphony. The usual comparisons between an orchestra and the Body of Christ came to mind—the combined ability to create harmonies, tones, dynamic range; great music made only by a gathering of talented musicians working together under the influence of a talented conductor—but, I was also struck by something new to me.
Here’s what I was thinking. With so many great players, musical parts and different kinds of instruments, maybe someone could get away with a mistake once in a while. What I mean is, there is a big difference between being a soloist and being in an orchestra. It’s hard for a soloist to hide, but within an orchestra, you have a lot of others who can model and cover for you and still make great music.
We need our friends, families, spouses and churches—all as imperfect as we are, to be complete. Not many of us are really soloists, but we all have an important part to play. We can be together, imperfect as individuals, yet still be and do something great.