"How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your word." (Psalm 119:9)

Some years ago, as a story goes, musicians noticed that errand boys in a certain area of London had begun to whistle out of tune as they went about their daily work. The peculiarity was discussed and someone suggested that it was because the bells of Westminster had become discordant. The chimes, it seems, were out of tune. The young boys, not knowing that anything was amiss with the peals, had unconsciously copied their imperfect pitch.

Day in and day out, each of us is exposed to the peals of society’s bells. Some chimes ring true. Their messages are consistent with God’s word, as we understand it. The sounds uplift, encourage, and motivate us to love God above all and our neighbors as ourselves.
 
Many cultural bells have become grossly out of tune. Their clangs are so jarring that we quickly detect their discordant messages: unchecked injustice; sexualizing young children and minors; discrimination against people of faith, particularly Christians and Jews; and a growing disregard for honor and dignity.

But many of society’s bells are not sufficiently out of tune to consistently catch our ear. As a result, we sometimes unconsciously copy the imperfect pitch of their peals: misplaced priorities and situational ethics; rationalizing broken promises and justifying duties not met.
 
Jesus lived a life in perfect pitch with the will of God. By taking his teachings into our minds and hearts, we become ever more adept at recognizing what is and what is not in harmony with the word of God. When the perfect pitch of God’s word is our standard, we can detect when something is amiss in the messages that ring out in society. And, with the grace of the Spirit, we can perfect the peal of our own bells when the music of our life is off key.