The Minstrel's Audience

Ecc.7:5 - It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear the song of fools.

The crowd chit chats throughout the auditorium as they wait for the curtain to be drawn and present this eclectic and entertaining minstrel. They have heard him before and he has never disappointed to uplift their spirits and give them a sense of a well spent night. With his happy visage and plucky demeanor he mesmerizes his audience with a combination of humor, relevant melody lines, and some enjoyable syncopation that is designed to assuage without any uncomfortable challenge to the untrained ear. Suddenly the lights dim and all the people quickly become quiet with a few sssh’s rippling around the house.

And there he is, the minstrel himself complete with all his musical instruments and entertainment accoutrements and as he steps to the center of the stage he is greeted with warm anticipation and fondness. This minstrel knows to whom he owes his success and he has come prepared to delight his subjects with familiar melodies that play the chords that resonate with their earthly lives and make them feel fully content with who they are. He begins with a welcome and immediately starts playing a tune with which everyone is familiar, they were hoping he would play this one. Nodding their heads and tapping their feet they collectively enter into his performance and are systematically uplifted.

The minstrel feeds from his audience’s reaction and their demonstrative enjoyment just adds to his energy and creativity. He quickly has them in the palm of his hand and as he watches the clock he interjects some humorous interludes that serve as minute intermissions and seek to enhance the entertainment value of his forty minute piece and, quite frankly, the audience adores them.

As he comes to the last movement the minstrel slows his musical pace substantially. He skillfully begins to tell a sad and meaningful story through his strings and the emotions of the listeners are openly moved. At the very end the minstrel invites his listeners to bow their heads and join him and sing the final chorus, and he happily invites all who have never sung that chorus to just sing what he is singing. The minstrel leads and the people join in singing that chorus they know all to well. The concert is now over, the listeners have enjoyed it, and many go down to the stage to meet or congratulate the minstrel, he was splendid.

And as the crowd files out they greet one another with the residual upbeat ambience of what they have just enjoyed.
And the minstrel? Well they all silently agree they’ve found an earthly savior.

See you next week…