Sad Songs

1 Chronicles 6:33

Here are the men who served, together with their sons: From the Kohathites: Heman, the musician, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel.

Ever had a friend who speaks depressed all the time?  Given a choice, most of us would rather not hang around them, right? Sure we’d give them a day, but just not daily. Visiting their black hole is draining. It’s a no-laughter, don’t-tell-me-about-the-good-life zone. They have it all un-sorted and they seem to plan to keep it that way. Mine don’t listen, although he said he was. But on our next hellos, guess what? Yup,  more like a recorded conversation. I usually run for a breather every after our helpless time together. Otherwise, look, I’m sounding more like him - - dragging you down-depressed here :<

Psalm 88 was said to be the saddest psalm of all. Although there were other psalms who shared negative tones with it, but the rest ended in hope. This psalm ended in darkness still.  It was penned by Heman, one of David’s three chief musicians. But why would David choose such a man to lead in worship? As Samuel’s grandson, Heman had unfaithfulness in his immediate bloodline. His father’s bribery and injustice was what caused Israel to ask for a king, rejecting God’s leadership through the Levites since then. And this man had been nursing an affliction since his youth. He may be skillful musically, but downstage - his whole life was in despair. His song being included in the book meant God allowed his pain to be sung by all. Unimagineable! All the while I’ve embraced the idea that no king would ever allow long faces in his presence. But David, and God, accepted him. He was even a king’s seer. Some say, although not scholars all agree, that he was the same Heman whose wisdom was second to Solomon’s. True or not, what’s noteworthy was his persevering faithfulness and the excellence he applied to his tasks, despite the depression. He may have lost all friends prior and during his lifetime of lows, yet he never lost faith in God, whose ears are not deaf to tears or sad songs.    

I guess this truth is for us who, in one way or another, were first to give up on our depressed friends. We rebuked them for not trying and yet we’re sharing that ground with them. Love’s language is not always through words or wrapped solutions. Heman survived life not because God answered his prayers. God chose silence, but He made sure Heman felt His presence. He used a man familiar with loneliness and long nights to inspire him.  In singing David’s song, Heman realized God accepts sad songs too. And so he wrote his own. It may not sound like glee, but his song continued to hit. Now he’s paying it forward - - to us, who are in despair modes and heavy tones. Listen as he now plays your intro. God’s all-set to hear you too. You may sing anytime you're ready...