Monday Rewrite An adaptation of a piece originally by singer/songwriter Larry Norman
Once there was a tune and everyone knew how it went, but as time went by, people began to forget. Until at last no one could remember. And things began to fall apart, lack of trust crept in, communication broke down and there was frustration… and anger… and sadness.
Then one day somebody said, “How does the tune go?”
And someone else said, “Oh… there is no tune, there never was, it’s only a myth.”
Someone else said, “Really? You mean – there’s no tune at all?”
And someone replied, “Well, it doesn’t really matter what tune you play, as long as you play something.”
And so the world played on. And the sound grew discordant, and things continued to break down. And there was turmoil… and conflict… and breakdown.
Then one day the people became weary of this song, and they all sat down on the side of a hill. And suddenly they heard a very strange sound.
And somebody said, “That sounds like the tune.”
But other folks said, “It can’t be! There is no tune, there never was, there never will be.”
Others said, “Well, it doesn’t really matter what tune you play, as long as you…”
But the people listened. And a man appeared before them with a smile on his face. And he was singing the tune. And some of the people began to listen. And to learn the tune. And for some of them, life took a different turn. And the people who loved him decided to follow him, but the people who didn’t became more and more nervous and upset… and one day they decided it would be best… to get rid of him. And so they did. And when it was finished, they went back to their houses and they sat down at their tables to eat and drink. And all was quiet, and the tune was over. Gone.
Suddenly, they were interrupted by a familiar sound. And they ran to their windows and looked outside to see what was going on. And as they looked their mouths fell open a long way. Because it was him. The man, singing the tune. With a smile on his face.
And the folks who had tried to be rid of him became confused and afraid. And they scratched their heads and wondered how he could have come back. And while they were watching him, something very strange happened. He melted away before their eyes, as if disappearing through a misty door into another dimension.
“How did he do that?” they asked.
Others shrugged and said, “We don’t really know, but he’s gone… so that’s that.”
And the people who loved him were sad, but those who didn’t were relieved. And they went home again and carried on with their lives.
The end.
Or was it? Yet again they were interrupted, and they ran to look. It was the tune, this time being played by a group of folks who were all singing together. And some of the others listened, and began to learn it too. And gradually, the tune went around the world and continued down through the ages. And it still plays today. If you listen, you’ll hear it. It’s all around you. Not always easy to hear, and often drowned out by other things. But if you really listen carefully, you can hear the tune. It’s there. For all of us. Inviting us to sing along. But you have to listen quietly… and you have to listen every day.
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