“I have a high view of instrumental music as a potential spiritual gift for the listener and the musician alike.… A jazz quartet can utter things in the presence of God that mere words fail to say.” — William Carter
To me, there’s not much more bang for the buck than seeing live jazz performed by talented musicians.
Sure, there are other forms of entertainment that are more lively, or possibly more universally accepted — but the interconnectedness of jazz musicians when they’re locked in can truly be awe-inspiring.
I suppose most of this response from listening to jazz music is quite simple — it’s because we are quieting our minds and listening. Engaged listening is not something we’re accustomed to in our world where we can scroll, click, swipe, or fast-forward to the next piece of content. Our minds have become numb unless the dopamine hits occur at a consistent clip.
I pray that we can all find God through art — it doesn’t have to be jazz music for you, but I suppose it almost always has to be something that makes you stop, pause, reflect, and contemplate the goodness of God — the masterful creativity of The Creator.
