I used to see harmony as an overrated measure of artificial happiness. From this perspective, the bias of doubt overwhelmed the possibility of what harmony measures and indicates.
With the benefit of reflection which includes the outcomes of biased laced judgement, it is important to clarify what harmony represents and what it does not. Harmony represents a shared commitment to respect and work with the other, specifically in and through the differences we represent. It does not measure how uniform the viewpoints are. It rarely indicates the level of diversity. Harmony reflects what happens when trust, vulnerability, and intimacy are mixed with care, kindness, and love.
With a very different understanding of what harmony is, how it is formed, and why it exists, I have come to see harmony as one of life’s defining measures and leading indicators. It begins to reveal the context behind the psalmist’s observation; “How wonderful, how beautiful, when brothers and sisters get along!” (Psalm 133.1)
When the elements of harmony are realized between a group of individuals, hope and opportunity grow exponentially. While there are many elements, three which stand out to me include the following.
The willingness and commitment to trust another. Trust is, in this case, multidimensional. It includes the commitment to trust the intent and action of the other when the details are unknown, unseen, and without verification. It is the expression of acceptance and confirmation in another’s voice and action when there are options.
The willingness and consistency of putting one’s ideas, opinions, and thoughts on the table, trusting others will care for them with the utmost care and commitment. Being vulnerable places one’s heart and soul out in the open. Doing so willingly only happens in association with harmony and fellowship.
Intimacy coupled with trust and vulnerability manifests itself in heart centered conversations. As I listened to the replays in my mind, I can feel and see the magic. If I had to use one word to caption the picture which lingers, it would be “expressions in harmony’s light”.
Harmony, Divine conversations, one and the same.
